Pictures from the Holyland » Golan

Banias

dgrushko — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:51:14 +0000

Banias (or Paneas ‎) located at the foot of theGolan Heights, and is the source of the Nahal Hermon stream. Banias was first settled in the Hellenistic period following Alexander the Great’s conquest of the east. The Ptolemaic kings, in the 3rd century BC, built a cult centre there. The sacred precinct included a temple, courtyards, a grotto and niches for rituals, and was dedicated to Pan. It was constructed on an elevated, 80m long natural terrace along the cliff which towered over the north of the city. A four-line inscription at the base of one of the niches relates to Pan and Echo, the mountain nymph, and was dated to 87 CE.

In 20 BC, Paneas was annexed to the Kingdom of Herod the Great. Herod erected a temple of ‘white marble’ in Paneas in honour of his patron. Remains of a temple built by Herod the Great stand in front of the cave.

After Herod’s death, his son Philip inherited this area, and in 2 BCE Philip founded his capital near the Banias Spring, calling it Caesarea Philippi.

In 61 CE, king Agrippa II renamed the administrative capital Neronias in honour of the Roman emperor Nero, but this name was discarded several years later, in 68 CE. Agrippa also carried out urban improvements.

In 1129 the Crusaders fortify the city and built a fortress.

(Most of the city was not excavated)

The Pan Temple

The Pan Grotto

The court of Pan and the Nymphs

The Temple of Pan & The Dancing Goats

An Altar found in Banias

Roman Bridge On Gobta River

Nahal Hermon stream

Agrippa II Palace

Banias Synagogue

The Cardo

The Crusaders City Gate

Tower Corner

A structure describing the various historical periods of the city of Banias. The Lower wall related to the Late Roman and Byzantine structures, above it Crusador level, Ayyubid level, Ottoman level, and on the Top a modern Syrian building.

The Basilica

Um el Kanatir

dgrushko — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 13:14:23 +0000

The ruins of the ancient JewishvillageofUm-el-Kanatir are located in the central Golan. The abundant, clean, spring water was the reason for the village’s ancient industrial specialization in the production of fine, white linen cloth. The villagers also engaged in mixed farming, and raised sheep and olives. It is believed that the income generated by the linen industry enabled the villagers to construct the very large sixth-century synagogue. Interestingly, the synagogue appears to have been built on the site of a more modest, fifth century synagogue. The large synagogue was destroyed by the catastrophic Golan earthquake of 749 AD.

Neither the synagogue nor the town, were rebuilt after the earthquake of 749.

The name was given by Arab shepherds who continued to make use of the site the water source, a spring that pours from the face of a cliff into three basins carved of stone in antiquity. Each of the basins was surmounted by a Roman monumental arch of cut basalt.

The Spring

The Synagogue

Decorated stones found in the Synagogue

Katzrin

dgrushko — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:30:02 +0000

The ruins of the ancient Jewish village of Katzrin (Kasrin, Qasrin) are located in the central Golan. The village of Katzrin was built around a spring, which still flows. The village was built during the Roman period (3rd-4th centuries) and was destroyed by the Golan earthquake of 749 AD.

The Village

The Oil Press

The Synagogue

The Synagogue was built in the 6th century AD atop a more modest 4th-5th century synagogue. Constructed entirely of basalt, it is notable for the wealth of its decorations. The synagogue was partially preserved to a height of 3 m. Fragments of a mosaic floor have been found. The synagogue had two rows of four columns each. The building was two stories tall with rows of windows at the top of the walls. The roof was built of wooden beams covered with ceramic tiles.

The location of Katzrin (Qasrin), mentioned in the Talmud ,in the excavation was found an ancient gravestone bearing the Hebrew inscription “Rabbi Abun, may he rest in honor”.

A stone with Menora (5 branches)

Lintel with relief of laurel, vine and amphora.

Basalt jamb with Menorah with bird relief

Ein Nashut

dgrushko — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:07:15 +0000

Ein Nashut - a small Jewish village was situated on the Golan mountain, 3km northern from Katzrin. The Jewish settlement that flourished here in the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods (Byzantine periods), 2nd-6th centuries AD was not identified and still keeping his Arab name. A small Synagogue and a big oil press was found in the village.

The Synagogue

(All this folowing items were found at Ein Nashut and now are in The Katzrin Museum)

A pair of entwined snakes and the inscription : “Abun son of Yose”. (Found in the synagoge)

Sarcophagus lid with Hebrew inscription.

Sarcophagus lid with Greek inscription: Yosseh son of Zanneas seventy years of age.

found at Ein Samsam (1 km northern from Ein Nashut)