4 June 2015: Day I in Jerash (Gerasa)

4 June 2015: Day I in Jerash (Gerasa)

Gerasa of the Dekapolis

"On the side of Syria, joining up to Judaea, is the region of Dekapolis, so called from the number of its cities; as to which all writers are not agreed."

Pliny the Elder (23-79 CE), Natural History 5.16.74

Gerasa (modern Jerash) was part of the Dekapolis ("Ten Cities" in Greek), a group of Hellenized cities located in modern Syria, Jordan, and Israel. By the early 2nd century BCE Greek colonists had settled alongside a local Semitic community at Gerasa whose name is a Greek translation of the Semitic Garshu. Under the Roman rule in the 1st century CE the Dekapolis, including Gerasa, became a semi-autonomous administrative district attached to the Roman Province of Syria. After Trajan's annexation of the Nabataean kingdom and creation of the Province of Arabia in 106, the Dekapolis cities were divided among three provinces (Judaea, Arabia, and Syria) and ceased to be a single administrative unit.

Site

Because of its well-preserved state, the site of Gerasa is one of the few places in the world where one can still experience a Classical city through its spectacular architecture and traces of human activity such as wheel ruts. There is so much to see there that during the eight hours that I spent exploring the site on my first day I barely covered the distance from Hadrian's Arch in the south to the north gate, even though I saved the ecclesiastical complex for another occasion. The order in which the monuments are described and illustrated below follows my path through this marvelous place.

Hadrian's Arch

Hadrian's Arch was built to commemorate the visit of the emperor in 129-30.

Hadrian's Arch. South facade.

Hadrian's Arch.

Church of Bishop Marianos

The Church of Bishop Marianos is located only 30 m north of Hadrian's Arch. Built in 570, it is one of no fewer than fifteen churches in Gerasa.

Church of Bishop Marianos. 570. The floor is covered with geometric mosaics.

Hippodrome

The hippodrome, used for horse and chariot racing, was built in the second half of the 2nd century. It could accommodate about 15,000 spectators.

View of the Hippodrome with Hadrian's Arch to the left. An arcade at the far (south) end of the hippodrome marks the starting point for the chariot races. Horses and chariots covered several laps around the central barrier.

Rows of stone seats were supported on arches, below which were shops and storerooms.

North end of the Hippodrome, with rows of stone seats in the background. In the foreground are arches that supported the now missing seats.

Below the arches supporting the seats of the Hippodrome were shops and storerooms.

Chariot racing ceased at Gerasa sometime during the 3rd century. At that time parts of the arena were fitted out with pottery workshops, kilns, and simple dwellings. Ceramic production continued until the early 7th century. The Hippodrome became a burial place for over 200 plague victims in the mid-7th century. The earthquake of 749/50 caused further damage of the already ruined building.

South Gate

The walled city of Gerasa is entered through the South Gate, of a similar design to Hadrian's Arch and probably built at the same time. The early 2nd-century city wall, repaired and restored in later periods, was almost 3.5 km long and 3 m thick with over 100 square towers. The earlier Hellenistic defenses would have enclosed a smaller area.

South Gate. South facade.

Inside the walled city, a paved street runs from the South Gate between a row of shops on the left and the retaining wall of the lower temenos (sacred enclosed area around a temple) of the Temple of Zeus on the right.

Temple of Zeus

The 2nd-century Temple of Zeus stands on a high podium within an upper temenos.

Temple of Zeus. Built in 162-3.

 South Theater

The South Theater was built under Emperor Domitian who was assassinated in 96. Domitian's memory was condemned by the senate, and subsequently his name was hacked out of the dedicatory inscriptions.

The much restored South Theater.

Domitian's name has been erased from an inscription on the podium at the western end of the auditorium. The inscription honors the retired decurio (town councillor) Titus Flavius Dionysios for his donation of 3,000 drachmae to build a block of seats.

Oval Precinct

The Oval Precinct is one of the most distinctive features of Gerasa. It was constructed probably during the first half of the 2nd century. It is delineated by an Ionic colonnade. The column in the center has been erected for the modern Jerash festival, but the podium on which it stands may have originally supported a statue. The Oval Precinct linked the Zeus sanctuary with a longitudinal street (cardo).

View from the upper temenos of the Temple of Zeus. In the foreground is the lower temenos with the remains of the earlier shrines that were the focus of the Zeus cult until the construction in 162-3 of the grand temple on the hill.

Stone slabs of the Oval Precinct's pavement follow the curve of the ellipses.

Cardo

Originally laid out in the early 2nd century, the Cardo runs for over 800 m from the Oval Precinct to the North Gate.

The cardo maximus was the main street running north-south in a Hellenic or ancient Roman city.

The colonnade along the Cardo supports a continuous architrave. Sections with higher columns mark public buildings behind.

Macellum

Macellum is the Roman food market, built in the first quarter of the 2nd century.

The octagonal courtyard of the Macellum is surrounded by a peristyle of columns. In the center of the courtyard is a fountain.

The intended purpose of these stones with forward-facing lions, located in the southwest exedra (semicircular recess) of the Macellum, was probably to support a stone tabletop used as a counter for commercial transactions.

South Decumanus

Gerasa had two decumani (transverse streets), south and north, both laid out in the later 2nd century. The angles of the intersection of the cardo and the south decumanus were cut away to create a circular plaza designed around a Tetrakionion (structure with four pillars).

Tetrakionion, looking northeast. The Cardo continues to the north.

South Decumanus, looking west.

Nymphaion

Beyond the Tetrakionion, on the west side of the Cardo, is the Nymphaion, a monumental fountain dedicated to the Nymphs (the guardian spirits of sources of pure water).

Nymphaion. Built towards the end of the 2nd century.

Sacred Way, Temple of Artemis, and Propylaeum Church

Beyond the Nymphaion, also on the west side of the Cardo, is the Temple of Artemis Propylaeum (monumental entrance gateway). Artemis was the Tyche (Fortuna) of Gerasa.

Temple of Artemis Propylaeum.

An elaborate entablature and pediment crowned the gateway, part of which now lies on the Cardo opposite.

On the east side of the Cardo, vis-a-vis the Propylaeum, was a plaza that was part of a processional route leading to the Temple of Artemis. The route started in the residential eastern suburbs and crossed Chrysorrhoas at the North Bridge (now destroyed). From there a monumental staircase led up to a triple arch and colonnaded street ending in the plaza.

During the 6th century, when the cult of Artemis had declined at Gerasa and Christianity was the dominant religion, the plaza and other parts of the processional route were converted into a church, known as the Propylaeum Church. At the triple gateway was the apse, and the columns of the former street separated the nave and aisles. The plaza became the atrium of the church.

Atrium of the Propylaeum Church. The plaza, originally part of a processional route to the Temple of Artemis, was converted into the atrium of the church.

Apse of the Propylaeum Church.

Detail of the apse of the Propylaeum Church showing the right angle of the former processional route gate.

On each side of the plaza entrance were four spirally twisted columns.

One of the four spirally twisted columns is shown in the center of this photograph. Resting on the wall next to it are two fragments of the architrave that was originally supported by the spirally twisted columns. The architrave blocks are carved with an inscription dated to 150. The text commemorates the establishment of fountains by the consul designatus L. Attidius Cornelianus.

View from the atrium of the Propylaeum Church. The columns of the great Temple of Artemis are partially visible at the top of the monumental staircase (1930s' rebuilding) leading from the propylaeum to the temple.

View from the top of the monumental stairway showing the Temple of Artemis Propylaeum, the Cardo, the Propylaeum Church, and the modern city of Jerash in the distance.

Naos (inner sanctuary) of the Temple of Artemis. The naos was clad with marble slabs. The niche housed the image of Artemis.

Church of Bishop Isaiah

Beyond the north wall of the Temple of Artemis precinct a track leads back to the Cardo past the Church of Bishop Isaiah, dedicated in the mid-6th century.

Floor mosaics in the Church of Bishop Isaiah.

North Theater

Alongside the Church of Bishop Isaiah is the North Theater. It was constructed in the reign of Marcus Aurelius (161-80) as a small odeon that served as the city's bouleuterion (meeting room of the boule, i.e. assembly of citizens).

Auditorium of the North Theater. During the first quarter of the 3rd century the chairman of the council (proedros) enlarged the odeon by adding the eight rows of seats of the upper auditorium (above the niches), thus doubling its capacity to 1,600.

North Theater. On the pilasters at each end of the orchestra wall are reliefs of musicians. These two show a chubby boy with pipes and a seated figure with a lyre.

Tetrapylon

The restored Tetrapylon (building with four arched facades set on two intersecting axes) is located in the northeast sector of Gerasa, at the intersection of the Cardo and the North Decumanus. It was built towards the end of the 2nd century.

View of the Tetrapylon from the North Decumanus.

View from the Cardo of the Tetrapylon's north facade. To the left are the mostly unexcavated ruins of the West Baths.

North Gate

From the Tetrapylon the Cardo continues to the North Gate.

North Gate. Built in 115.

After reaching the North Gate I turned around and headed back to Hadrian's Arch. The lighting was much different than eight hours earlier.

Approaching the Oval Plaza.

3 June 2015: Along the Dead Sea Shore

3 June 2015: Along the Dead Sea Shore

Mt Nebo

"And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, that is Pisgah, that is over against Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the land of Gilead, unto Dan."

(Deuteronomy 34:1)

According to the biblical account quoted above, it was at Mount Nebo that Moses was shown the Promised Land. The view from the top is breathtaking.

View from Mt Nebo.

When the fourth-century pilgrim Egeria visited Mt Nebo, she was shown the tomb of Moses inside the church. During my visit the Moses Memorial Church was closed for restoration.

Moses Memorial Church. The fourth-century building is contained within a new enclosure.

Church of SS Lot and Prokopios, Mukhayyat

Not far from Mt Nebo is the church of SS Lot and Prokopios, named after early Christian martyrs. The church was built under Bishop John in the mid-6th century. It is located at Mukhayyat, reputedly the location of the Old Testament town of Nebo.

Church of SS Lot and Prokopios (looking northeast). A dedicatory inscription dates the well-preserved floor mosaic to 557.

Detail of the floor mosaic showing a fisherman hooking a fish.

The floor mosaic at the west end of the church shows pairs of animals (hares, stags, and bullocks) between four fruit trees. The inscription quotes Psalm 51: 19: "Then shall they offer bullocks upon thy altar." In the early liturgy this psalm was often sung as the offering was taken up to the altar, and the bullocks in the mosaic are facing an altar.

Baaras & Mukawir (Machaerus)

Baaras

The road to Machaerus, winding its way through the desolate mountains, took us by the hot springs at Zarqa Ma'in.

The contrast between the rocky mountains and the green valleys is striking.

The location of the hot springs at Zarqa Ma'in (ancient Baaras).

Baaras is only 8 km east of the hot springs at Kallirhoe, where Herod the Great built a baths complex. He went there in search of a cure for his fatal disease: "a slight fever, an unbearable itching all over his body, constant pains in the lower bowel, swellings on the feet as in dropsy, inflammation of the abdomen and mortification of the genitals...difficulty in breathing...and spasms" (Josephus).

Mukawir

Herod the Great, Roman-appointed king of Judaea from 37 to 4 BCE, built a fortress at Machaerus. According to Josephus it was here that Salome danced for Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, and asked for the head of John the Baptist.

The setting of the archaeological site, located at the top of the conical hill, is stunning.

The archaeological remains of the fortress of Machaerus.

The ruined state of the archaeological site can be explained partly by its violent history. The Jews overtook the Roman garrison stationed here during the revolt of 66 CE. Six years later the Romans retaliated, and the fortress was destroyed.

View from the fortress of Machaerus, with the Dead Sea in the background.

After descending from the mountains, we took a closer look at the shrinking Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth.

The Baptism Site of Wadi Kharrar

"I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie."

This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

(John 1: 26-28)

A little way of the east of the Jordan river is the archaeological area. A stairway leads down from the Church of John the Baptist to the baptistery.

The archaeological area with a stairway leading from the church to the baptistery.

The Baptism of Agnes on the east bank.

The narrow and murky Jordan river is the border between Jordan on the east bank and Palestine and Israel on the west bank.

Sanctuary of St Lot (Deir 'Ain 'Abata)

Unfortunately, the elevated site of the Sanctuary of St Lot, which includes Lot's Cave, the associated church, and the monastic complex were closed. A visit to the nearby Museum at the Lowest Place on Earth was well worth the trip though.

The mosaic pavement from the diakonikon of the Church of St Lot shows a vine growing from an urn with an inscription dated to 572/3. Museum at the Lowest Place on Earth.