Ancient Abila: An Archaeological History 9781841712741, 9781407353418

Table of contents :
Front Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgments
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Exploration and Minor Excavations of Abila
The American Expedition to Abila
Early Texts Related to Abila
Texts Found at Abila
Numismatic and Iconographic Evidence from Abila
Historical Overview of Abila
Bibliography
Illustrations

Citation preview

BAR  S989  2001   WINELAND   ANCIENT ABILA, AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL HISTORY

B A R

Ancient Abila An Archaeological History

John D. Wineland

BAR International Series 989 2001

Ancient Abila An Archaeological History John D. Wineland

BAR International Series 989 2001

Published in 2016 by BAR Publishing, Oxford

BAR International Series 989 Ancient Abila: An Archaeological History

© J D Wineland and the Publisher 2001 The author's moral rights under the 1988 UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act are hereby expressly asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be copied, reproduced, stored, sold, distributed, scanned, saved in any form of digital format or transmitted in any form digitally, without the written permission of the Publisher.

ISBN 9781841712741 paperback ISBN 9781407353418 e-format DOI https://doi.org/10.30861/9781841712741 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library BAR Publishing is the trading name of British Archaeological Reports (Oxford) Ltd. British Archaeological Reports was first incorporated in 197 4 to publish the BAR Series, International and British. In 1992 Hadrian Books Ltd became part of the BAR group. This volume was originally published by Archaeopress in conjunction with British Archaeological Reports (Oxford) Ltd/ Hadrian Books Ltd, the Series principal publisher, in 2001. This present volume is published by BAR Publishing, 2016.

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Dedication This book is dedicated to my wife Connie and my daughter Christie, for their love, patience, and encouragement and to the memory of my mother Marjorie.

ii

Acknowledgments This work developed from a decade of participation with the Abila of the Decapolis excavation. While a seminary student, I first journeyed to Abila and my life was never the same. When I began doctoral studies at Miami University Abila became the heart of my research. I would like to thank first, and foremost, Dr. W. Harold Mare, the Director of the Abila Excavation and Professor Emeritus of Covenant Theological Seminary. His tireless efforts have made the excavation of this important site possible. I began working with him in 1984, and his enthusiasm for Abila has never waned. He graciously granted me many opportunities to excavate, present papers, and write articles about Abila. When it came time to pick the topic for my dissertation, Dr. Mare supported my decision to write about Abila. I would also like to thank Dr. Edwin Yamauchi who guided and encouraged me through my doctoral studies and the writing of my dissertation. He continues to challenge me through his example of scholarship. I would be remiss if I did not thank Dr. Reuben G. Bullard. He was the first to encomage me to pmsue archaeology and Near Eastern studies. My first journey to the Middle East was on one of his study tours. My first summer at Abila, I served as his assistant in the field. He taught me much about archaeology, fieldwork, geology, photography, and life. I would like to Dr. Michael Fuller, who helped train me in fieldwork, especially in surveying and research technique. His dissertation on Abila led me to many sources and gave me valuable insight. I would like to thank the Department of Antiquities of Jordan for their assistance in so many ways. Thanks especially to Mr. Sultan Sureidah and Mr. Wajee Karasneh. I would like to thank librarians and staff of King Library at Miami University. They helped me track down several obscme references. I appreciate their diligence and patience. I would like to thank Dr. Claude Vibert-Guigue. His work with Alix Barbet on painted tombs of Abila is an excellent record of these fine tombs. I thank him for granting permission to reproduce some of his excellent drawings in this volume. I would like to thank Dr. Robert W. Smith for allowing me use some of his drawings and to benefit from his vast knowledge of Abila. I would like to thank Doug Potter, Rick Bullard, and Tim Snow, photographers at the Abila Excavation for permission to use some of their photographs in this volume. I would like to thank Dr. David Merling, editor of the Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin (NEASE) for his kind permission to reproduce illustrations that first appeared in the NEASE. I would also like to thank Kevin Morrow for permission to use some of his photographs in this volume. He is the webmaster of the Abila Excavation website. Visit this site for updates on the activities at Abila (www.Abila.org). Special thanks to all of the Staff and volunteers who have worked at Abila. Your efforts made this project possible.

iii

iv

Table of Contents

Chapter 1:

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1

Chapter 2:

Exploration and Minor Excavations of Abila . . . . .

6

Chapter 3:

The American Expedition to Abila . . . . . . . . . . . . .

20

Chapter 4:

Early Texts Related to Abila. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

47

Chapter 5:

Texts Found at Abila. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

69

Chapter 6:

Numismatic and Iconographic Evidence from Abila . 79

Chapter 7:

Historical Overview of Abila ................

.

95

Bibliography

116

Illustrations

133

V

vi

Introduction

The focus of this work is broad chronologically but narrow geographically. It examines the political and social history of the city of Abila. Abila was in many ways a city on the edge of the control of many great empires down through the ages. It was at the intersection of both Egyptian and Mesopotamian powers. When Israel grew to the zenith of its power in the tenth centmy B.C. Abila was once again at the edge of its control. This pattern continues during the Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic periods. Being constantly on the edge of controlling powers, Abila was passed from one government administration to another. This also created a tension between the sedentary inhabitants of the city itself and those who lived outside the walls but not outside the influence of Abila.

Abila is located at the Palestine Belt Grid coordinate of 317327. 3 The natmal environment of Abila was an important factor in determining the history, cultme, and economy of the region. The favorable conditions found at Abila contributed to the initial habitation of the area and the prosperity of the region. Abila was blessed with fertile soils and sufficient rainfall to make its produce famous. It was strategically located near major trade arteries. These roads allowed the interchange of Abila's agricultural products for exotic goods. The question of site identification must be addressed at the onset of this work. How do we know that Tel Abil is ancient Abila? Site identification is a complex process involving philology, linguistics, geography, and archaeology.4 The first step in site identification is an examination of the historical sources for any clues as to the geographical location of the site in question. Excellent somces are ancient scholars, such as Origen, Eusebius, and Jerome, who lived in Palestine. They often record the location of sites. We are fortunate to have the record of Eusebius who states in his Onomasticon that "Abela, fertile of wine, in

My interest in Abila began in 1984 when I first participated in field excavation at the site. I continued to work at the site dming the 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, and 1994 seasons. I conducted research at various levels on the history of Abila dming these years of fieldwork and in the years that followed. My master's thesis, which focused on the region of the Decapolis and the city of Gerasa, 1 served as the foundational research for this study. I will draw heavily from my own fieldwork experiences as I attempt to reconstruct the history of Abila.

376.

An examination of Abila needs to begin by placing the city in a broader geographical context. This section will briefly examine the geography, location, and identification of Abila. Tell Abil is located in northern Jordan about three miles from the Y armuk River valley which is the modern boundary between Jordan and Syria. The United States Board on Geographic Names places Abila at Greenwich longitude thirty-two degrees and forty-one minutes, north and latitude thirty-five degrees and fifty-two minutes, east.2

3This

is based upon a map issued by the Jordan National Geographic Center, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Irbid District, Samar subdistrict, sheet 3155-II-NW. 4 For

an excellent introduction to this subject see Anson F. Rainey, "Identification of Ancient Sites," in Keith Crum, ed., The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible. Supplementary Volume, (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1976) pp. 825-827; See also J. Maxwell Miller, "Site Identification: A Problem Area in Contemporary Biblical Scholarship," Zeitschrift fur deutschen Paliistinavereins 99, (1983), pp. 119-129; J. Maxwell Miller, "Biblical Maps: How Reliable Are They?" Biblical Review, 24, (1987), pp. 33-41; For examples of the application of the process see J. Maxwell Miller, a"Geba/Gibeah of Benjamin," Vetus Testamentum, 25, (1975), pp. 145-166; J. Maxwell Miller, "The Israelite Journey through (around) Moab and Moabite Toponymy," Journal of Biblical Literature 108, (1989), pp. 577-595; J. Maxwell Miller, "Six Khirbet el-Medeinehs in the Region East of the Dead Sea," Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 276, (1990), pp. 25-28.

1See John D. Wineland, "The Region of the Decapolis," Master"s Thesis, Miami University, 1988.

.fordan: Official Standard Names Gazetteer: Approved by the United States Board on Geographical Names, (Washington, D.C.: Geographic Names Division, U.S. Army Topographic Command, 1971) pp. 291 and 2

1

Ancient Abila: An Archaeological History the region twelve miles to the east of Gadara." 5 Eusebius would have been using Roman miles which were one thousand paces or 1,619 yards which is about 1.481 kilometers. 6 Eusebius' distance would convert to about 17.772 kilometers. The modern village of Umm Qeis has been firmly identified with ancient Gadara. 7 Quweilbah (the name of the spring of Abila) is located about 19.3 kilometers to east of Umm Qeis on the archaeological map issued by the Department of Antiquities of Jordan. 8 This a remarkable correspondence to the description of Eusebius.

five-line royal dedicatory temple inscription found at Tel Miqne during the 1996 season which preserves the ancient name of the site Ekron as well as the names of the Philistine kings Achish and Padi. 12 The ancient name of Abila is also preserved in a five-line inscription which was unearthed on the site during the 1984 season of excavation. 13 Also about seven and a half miles from the site in another inscription was found that mentions the city of Abila. It was built into the outer wall of the mansion of a sheik. It was found by Johann Wetzstein during his travels to the area in 1860. 14 These two inscriptions but especially the first one which was found during excavations on Tel Abil all but clinch the identification of the site.

The second step in site identification is toponymy, which is the study of place names. 9 The Arabic toponym often preserves the ancient name of the site. Our site is called Tel Abil in Arabic. This preserves the ancient Greco-Roman name Abila which is itself an adaptation of the Semitic name for the site which was Abel. So the name changed slightly through the centuries from the early Semitic name, Abel to its Hellenized form, Abila and finally to the Arabic, Abil. 10 Again this is strong support for the identification of the site.

The Arabic and Greco-Roman name of the site suggests that the name of Abila in pre-Hellenistic times was Abel (?::l~). It is important to consider the topography of the site when considering the form of the site name. The name Abel means place of the perennial stream. 15 Tel Abil has a fine perennial stream which flows from Ain Qwailbah located slightly over one kilometer to the south. This spring feeds the stream which flows just to the east of the site through the Wadi Qwailbah. Archaeological investigation has revealed that the site was occupied from at least the Early Bronze period (and perhaps earlier) through the medieval Islamic period. The long occupational history attests to the importance of its fine water source. Our Abila is a good candidate for one of the Abels mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Two of the most promising possibilities are Abel Meholah and Abel Beth Macaah. I favor the latter as the most likely identification of our Abel. 16

The name of most sites is not preserved in any inscription found at the site, though it has happened in a few cases namely, Gezer, Gibeon, Beth-Shan, Dibon, Arad, and recently Dan. 11 Also a preliminary report indicates that a Erich Klostermann, Eusebius, Das Onomastikon der Biblischen Ortsnamen, (Hildesheim: Georg Olms Verlagsbuchhandlung, 1966), pp. 32-33; For more on the sources see Chapter Four.

5 See

Lesley Adkins and Roy A. Adkins, Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome, (New York: Facts on File, 1994), p. 313. 6 See

What is possible culturally and historically is related to the geographic location of any site. 17 It is important, therefore,

For more on Gadara, see Lee A. Maxwell, "Gadara of the Decapolis," An Unpublished Doctoral Thesis, (St. Louis: Concordia Theological Seminary, 1990). 7

Knox Press, 1994 ), pp. 1-17. Amman, Sheet 1, The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Archaeological Map, (Amman: Jordan National Geographical Center, Directorate of Military Survey, and the Department of Antiquities of Jordan, 1978) 8 See

12Seymour

Gitin, electronic mail correspondence to the author July 15,

1996. 13For

Yohanan Aharoni, The Land of the Bible: A Historical Geography, Revised by Anson F. Rainey, (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1979), esp. pp. 105-130; Anson F. Rainey "The Toponymics of Eretzlsrael," Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 231, (1978), pp. 1-17; Anson F. Rainey, "Historical Geography-- The Link Between Historical and Archeological Interpretation," Biblical Archaeologist, 45, (1982), pp. 217-223. 9 See

a full description of this inscription see Chapter Five.

14For more on Wetzstein's visit to Abila see Chapter Two. For a discussion of the inscription see chapter four. 15As opposed to the former scholarly opm10n that the word means meadow, field, or place that is green, see William Gesenius, A Hebrew and English Lexicon, Edward Robinson, trans. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1974) a reprint of the 1907 edition, pp. 5-6. Most current lexicons have "a place near a perennial stream" definition, see Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner, The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, Revised Edition (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1994), Vol. I, p. 7; William Holladay, A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1971) p. 2; R. Laird Harris, ed. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1980), Vol. I, p. 7. This translation was first suggestion by Albright, see William Foxwell Albright, The Vocalization of the Egyptian Syllabic Orthography American Oriental Series, Volume 5, (New Haven: American Oriental Society, 1934) p. 39.

10For a more comprehensive look at the name in its various forms see Chapter Three.

11For a description of these sites and their identification see the following; see William G. Dever, "Gezer," in David Noel Freedman, ed. The Anchor Bible Dictionary, (New York: Doubleday, 1992), II, pp. 9981002; Patrick M. Arnold, "Gibeon," in David Noel Freedman, ed. The Anchor Bible Dictionary, (New York: Doubleday, 1992), II, pp. 10101013; Patrick E. McGovern, "Beth-Shan," in David Noel Freedman, ed. The Anchor Bible Dictionary, (New York: Doubleday, 1992), I, pp. 693696; A. D. Tushingham, "Dibon,"" in David Noel Freedman, ed. The Anchor Bible Dictionary, (New York: Doubleday, 1992), II, pp. 194-196; Dale W. Manor and Gary A. Heron, "Arad," in David Noel Freedman, ed. The Anchor Bible Dictionary, (New York: Doubleday, 1992), I, pp. 331-336; and Avraham Biran, "Tel Dan: Biblical Texts and Archaeological Data," in Michael D. Coogan, J. Cheryl Exum, and Lawrence E. Stager, eds. Scripture and Other Artifacts: Essays on the Bible and Archaeology in Honor of Philip .I. King, (Louisville: Westminster/John

16For a full discussion of this identification and other possibilities see chapter four. For references to Abel Beth Maacah see II Samuel 20: 1419; I Kings 15:20; II Chronicles 16:4; and II Kings 15:29.

17See Paul Goldberg, "The Changing Landscape," in Thomas A. Levy, ed. The Archaeology of Society in the Holy Land (New York: Facts on File,

2

Introduction to place Abila in its proper geographical setting. Abila is located in Syro-Palestine, east of the Jordan River and the Sea of Galilee in an area known as the Levant. The Levant area is generally divided into five major physiographic regions:18 1. The coastal plain spans the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea from the Sinai peninsula to southern Lebanon and is formed from sands swept up the coast from the Nile River delta. 2. The Shephelah or Foothills Belt is bordered on the west by the coastal plain and is characterized by gentle rolling hills. 3. The Judean-Ephraim Mountains run on a north-south axis, just to the east of the Shephelah, and form the backbone of Cis-Jordan. 4. The Rift System of the Beqaca Valley, Sea of Galilee, Jordan River, Dead Sea, and Araba Valley form the lowest land feature on the surface of the earth and are part of the Great Rift Valley system that extends from Asia Minor into western Africa. 5. The Transjordanian Plateau rises steeply from the Rift Valley that constitutes its border on the west and gives way to the Arabian desert on the east; this plateau is limited on the north by the Y armuk River and on the south by the Gulf of Aqaba.

south. Philadelphia (modern Amman) and Gadora (Tell al Ain Jadur near es-Salt) 21 are located within the region which was known as Perea in the New Testament. 5. The Eastern Chor is located along the Jordan River valley, which contains the location of Pella. 6. The Highlands of Kerak, known as Moab in Biblical times, are located between the Wadi Mujib and the Wadi Hasa (biblical Zered). 7. The Highlands of Shara, known also as the biblical Edom, is the area to the south of the Wadi Hasa. The seismic action along the Great Rift Valley resulted in volcanic activity in relatively recent geological times. 22 The lava flows from these volcanoes spread over much of the region to the north of the Yarmuk River and also covered some smaller areas to the south. These lava deposits provided the inhabitants of the northern Jordanian cities such as Abila, Gadara, Scythopolis, and Hippos with basalt for building stones. Perhaps of more significance, this lava also served as the parent rock for the fertile soil found in this region including the environs of Abila. The area to the south of the Y armuk River was primarily made up of sedimentary rocks: chiefly soft limestones and chalks. The residents of this area utilized these stones as building materials. While limestone is softer and easier to work than basalt, it is also less durable. Abila was located in area which afforded it ample supplies of both basalt and limestone for construction purposes. As in the rest of Palestine, architects imported marble for ornamental constructions.

Abila is located on the Transjordanian plateau which may be subdivided into seven distinct areas. 19 1. The Golan, located to the north of the Yarmuk River and to the east of the Sea of Galilee, was the location of Hippos and some of the territory of Gadara. 2. The Hauran is north of the Y armuk and to the east of the Golan here can be found Damascus, Canatha, and Adra. 3. The Gadarene Plateau 20 and the Highlands of Ajlun form the territory between the Yarmuk River and the Wadi Zarqa (biblical Jabbok). This is the district where Abila, Gadara, Dion, Capitolias, and Gerasa are situated. 4. The northern perimeter of the Highlands of es-Salt and the Balqa Plateau is formed by the Wadi Zarqa and the Wadi Mujib (biblical Arnon) to the

Climate played a major role in the history and settlement of Abila. 23 It was assumed until recently that the overall climate of the Levant had not changed significantly since about 9000 B.C. 24 Pollen studies on core samples taken from Hula Lake and the coastal areas of Israel indicate that

1995), pp. 40-57. 18Reuben G. Bullard, in "Geological Studies in Field Archaeology"", originally assigned the division and titles of these provinces, Biblical Archaeologist 33 (1970), 98-132, reprinted in Edward F. Campbell, Jr. and David Noel Freedman, eds., The Biblical Archaeologist Reader lV (Sheffield: The Almond Press and The American Schools of Oriental Research) 1983, pp. 125-150. and in a slightly revised form as "Geology in Field Archaeology," pp. 196-235 in William G. Dever and H. Darrell Lance, eds., A Manual of Field Excavation: HandbookjrJr Field Archaeologists (Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, 1978). For more information see also Reuben G. Bullard, "Sedimentary Environments and Lithologic Materials at Two Archaeological Sites." in George Rapp, Jr. and John A. Gifford, eds. Archaeological Geology (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985), pp. 103-133 and Edwin M. Yamauchi, "Palestine," in C. F. Pfeiffer, H.F. Vos, and J. Rea, eds., The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1975), pp. 12591273.

Michael Avi-Yonah, The Holy Land: A Historical Geography from the Persian to the Arab Conquest (536 B.C. - AD. 640) (revised edition; Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1979), p. 179. 21 See

22 For

further information on the geology of the region see Friedrich Bender, Geology of Jordan (trans. Moh'd Kamal Khdeir; Berlin: Gebruder Borntraeger, 1974), esp. pp. 1-15; See also Max W. Ball and Douglas Ball, "Oil Prospects in Israel," Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 37 (1953), pp. 1-113. For more information about the chronology of the earthquakes of the region see, Zuhair H. El-Isa, "Earthquake Studies of some Archaeological Sites in Jordan," Adnan Hadidi, ed. Studies in the History and Archaeology of Jordan fl, (Amman: Department of Antiquities, 1985), pp. 229-235; and Kenneth W. Russell, "The Earthquake Chronology of Palestine and Northwest Arabia from the 2nd through the Mid-8th Century AD.," Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, Vol. 260, (1985), pp. 37-59.

19 See M. du Buit, Geographic de la Terre Sainte (Paris: Les Editions du Cerf, 1958), p. 77-78 and Michael J. Fuller, "Abila of the Decapolis: A Roman - Byzantine City in the Transjordan", An Unpublished Dissertation, (St. Louis: Washington University, 1987), pp. 42-43.

23 For

more information about the effects of climate on historical events, see Edwin M. Yamauchi, "Ancient Ecologies and the Biblical Perspective," Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation, 32 (1980), 193-203.

Ealy, The Geography of the Bible, (Lutterworth: Guildford, 1974), pp. 213-214. This region is also called the Irbid Plateau, (See du Buit, Geographie, p. 77), roughly corresponds to the biblical region known as Gilead. See Efraim Orni and Elisha Efrat, Geography of Israel (Jerusalem: Israel University Press, 1973), pp. I 06-107. 20 Denis

24 For representatives of this view see Yohanan Aharoni, The Land of the Bible: A Historical Geography, Revised and Enlarged Edition, (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1979), esp. pp. 3-20.; Amihai Mazar, Archaeology of the Land of the Bible: 10,000-586 B.C.E., (New York: Doubleday, 1992), esp. pp. 1-9.

3

Ancient Abila: An Archaeological History there were cycles of wet and dry periods. 25 The wet periods are indicated by a high percentage of arboreal pollen. 26 This pattern has been confirmed in the archaeological evidence recovered at sites in the region. 27

references are obscure and seldom if at all translated or discussed, it is necessary to gather these fragmented components so a history of the city can be reassembled. References to Abila covering nearly four thousand years, from the Ancient Egyptian period up through the Medieval Islamic period, have been assembled in Chapter Four. I hope to glean from them a more coherent picture of the history of Abila which is discussed in Chapter Seven.

Fluctuations in the levels of precipitation greatly influenced the production of food and population of the region. 28 Much of Syro-Palestine was forested in the early historic period. Several types of human activity led to deforestation including smelting of ores, cutting of trees for timber, heating Roman baths, clearing of the land for grazing, producing charcoal and using the wood as fuel for the steam engines. 29 Fmther destruction of vegetation was undoubtedly caused by overgrazing. This loss of vegetation has brought about an overall increase in aridity due to the escalated run-off as well as a reduction in the level of rainfall due to the diminished water vapor. 30

The incomplete nature of these literary sources makes it is useful, if not essential, to examine other potential somces of political and social history. Chapter Five gathers the texts which have been found at the site of Abila. These texts included painted and incised inscriptions and fragments of inscription found on the tell, in tombs, and in water tunnels. Chapter Six examines the numismatic and iconographic evidence related to Abila. These somces provided important insights in to the economic and religious history of the inhabitants of Abila.

The occupational history of Abila is long and complex but the literary references to Abila are scanty and incidental in nature. These references provide only a fragmentary glimpses into the history of this city. Since many of these

I have also included two historiographical chapters. Chapters Two and Three are devoted to the history of the exploration and excavation of the site. Chapter Two covers the earliest visits of Europeans to the site and the less intensive work of the Department of Antiquities of Jordan and the French team. Ulrich Seetzen, in 1806, was the first European to examine the ruins of Abila. 31 Gottlieb Schumacher, the German architect-explorer, visited Abila for two days in 1888. 32 The large unoccupied site was later briefly visited by Nelson Glueck dming his smvey of the area in 1933. 33 Chapter Three gives an overview of seven seasons of excavation carried out by the American team of excavators. Research at Abila began in earnest dming the summer of 1980, when Dr. W. Harold Mare of Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri directed the first intensive survey of the site. This excavation is still an ongoing project .34

25 For

further discussion on this see James A. Sauer, "The River Runs Dry-Creation Story Preserves Historical Memory," Biblical Archaeology Review, Vol. 22, No. 4, (1996), pp. 52-57 and p. 64; James A Sauer, "A New Climatic and Archaeological View of the Early Biblical Traditions," in Michael D. Coogan, J. Cheryl Exum, and Lawrence Stager, eds., Scripture and Other Artifacts (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1994), pp. 366-398. 26 For

more on the pollen studies see Aharon Horowitz, "Climatic and Vegetational Developments in Northeastern Israel during the Upper Pleistocene-Holocene Times," Polen et Spores, 13 (1971 ), pp. 255-278; Aharon Horowitz, "Preliminary Palynological Indications as to the Climate of Israel during the Last 6,000 Years," Paleorient, 2 (1974), and Ahoron Horowitz, "Human Settlement Patterns in Israel," Expedition, 20:4 (1978), 55-58; see also Ahoron Horowitz, The Quaternary of Israel, (New York: Academic Press, 1979). 27 See Paul Goldberg and Arlene M. Rosen, "Early Holocene Palaeoenvironments of Israel," in Thomas E. Levy, ed. Shiqmim I: Studies Concerning Cha/eolithic Societies in the Northern Negev Desert, Israel (19821984), (Oxford: British Archaeological Reports International Series 356 (i-ii), 1987); Thomas Levy, "The Chalcolithic Period," Biblical Archaeologist 49, (1986), pp. 82-108; and Numan Shehada, 'The Climate of Jordan in the Past and the Present, Adnan Hadidi, ed. Studies in the History and Archaeology of Jordan (Amman: Department of Antiquities, 1980), II, pp. 25-37.

The northern region of Jordan has been neglected until recently, by most researchers. This work will provide valuable information about Abila which will add to the growing corpus of knowledge concerning the area of northern Jordan. Researchers examining other sites in the area will be able to compared their sites to Abila. As this comparative work progresses a more through understanding of the history of the region can be determined. In fact this work can also serve as foundation for the study of Abila. Until the

28 For

current levels of rainfall and other environmental factors see Bender, The Geology of Jordan, pp. 11-15; Robert H. Smith, Pella of the Decapolis. (Wooster, Ohio: The College of Wooster, 1973), pp. 90-125, see also Fuller, "Abila of the Decapolis", pp. 55-59 and pp. 384-386; cf. with John Ball, "Notes on the Topography and Climate of Transjordan and the Syrian Desert," American Documentation Institute, 4469, (1955), pp. 137-151. For a general work on the geography of the region see Efraim Orni and Elisha Efrat, Geography of Israel, Fourth Revised Edition, (Jerusalem: Israel Universities Press, 1980).

31 Ulrich

Jasper Seetzen, Reisen durch Syrien, Paliistina, Phonicien, die Transjordan-Lander, Arabia Petraea und Unter-Aegyten. I (Berlin: G. Reimer, 1854 ). 32 See Gottlieb Schumacher, Abila, Pella, and Northern Ajlun, within the Decapolis, (London: Palestine Exploration Fund, 1889).

29 For

further information from a different area of the Mediterranean world see: Rhoads Murphey, "The Decline of North Africa Since The Roman Occupation: Climatic or Human?", Annals of the Association of American Geographers, 41 (1951).

Glueck, Explorations in Eastern Palestine. (New Haven: American Schools of Oriental Research, 1951 ), Part l: Text.

33 Nelson

34 W.

Harold Mare, "The 1980 Survey Of Abila Of The Decapolis: Background, Survey Techniques, Ceramic Analysis, Archaeological History, And Architectural Features, Part I," Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin, New Series, No. 17 (l 98 l ), 5-25.

30 See

further H. N. Le Houerou, "North Africa: Past Present, Future," in Harold E. Pregne, ed., Arid Lands in Transition, (Washington D.C.: American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1970).

4

Introduction final publication is completed our study can serve as starting point for the history of Abila. It is hoped that future research about Abila will build upon and refine what is presented here. Abila was a prominent city of the Decapolis. The study of the Decapolis is in its formative stages but is gaining momentum. In fact, in September 1992 an international conference on the Decapolis sponsored by Aram was held at the University of Oxford. Over twenty participants from the United States, Germany, Netherlands, France, Israel, Jordan, Australia, and Great Britain presented papers which were subsequently published. 35 I was one of those invited to participate in this conference. 36 My work on Abila will provide important comparative information which can be used by others engaged in Decapolian studies. The archaeological work of Abila has only been published in preliminary excavation reports in the Near East Archaeological Society Bulletin, a journal which does not have a wide circulation. The only significant work written about Abila is by Michael J. Fuller in his unpublished anthropological Ph.D. dissertation. 37 Fuller's work focuses mainly upon the surface survey and water system of Abila. He uses various statistical models to attempt to calculate the population of the city. Fuller states "My dissertation .. . relies primarily upon a detailed, systematic survey conducted inside the urban boundary of Abila and a regional survey of the surrounding countryside. "38 My work, however, focuses upon both the political and social history of the city. Another important contribution of this work will be the synthesis of the seven seasons of the Abila excavation. Fuller based his dissertation upon one season of survey and three seasons of excavations. Information from four additional seasons of excavations and nine additional years of research will be included in this volume.

35 See

Aram, 4: 1&2 (1992).

36 See

John D. Wineland, "Archaeological and Numismatic Evidence for the Political Structure and Greco-Roman Religions of the Decapolis, with Particular Emphasis on Gerasa and Abila." Aram, 4: 1&2 (1992), pp. 329342. 37 Michael

J. Fuller, "Abila of the Decapolis: A Roman-Byzantine City in the Transjordan," An Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation, (St. Louis: Washington University, 1987). 38 Fuller,

p. 2.

5

Exploration and Minor Excavations of Abila

The history of the exploration and excavation of Abila follows a pattern that is often repeated at other sites in SyroPalestine. Philip King recognized this pattern in his work on the history of American archaeology in the Middle East. 1 This model is also described in Keith Schoville's work on biblical archaeology where he divides the development of Biblical archaeology into four stages: the Period of the Pious Pilgrims, Third Century to A.D. 1799; the Treasure Hunters, c1800-1890; c1890 to World War II, when biblical archaeology becomes a science; and the Modem age of biblical archaeology, 1948- present. The exploration and excavation of Abila fits well into three of these four general categories. 2

relate what was being discovered to the biblical text. This period, which Schoville labels as the time of "Treasure Hunters," may be better called the time of the explorerscholar. Ulrich Seetzen, Johann Buckhardt and Johann Wetzstein, who all visited the environs of Abila at this time, fit into this category. 3 The end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth marked a new period in the history of archaeology in the Middle East. This was a time which Schoville calls the "beginnings of Biblical archaeology as a science." It marked a period of more focused investigation and the beginning of large-scale excavations. Scholars began to ask specific questions about sites and regions beyond the basic questions of location, topography and site identification. During this period stratigraphic excavation and ceramic typography developed. Gottlieb Schumacher visited Abila when this period was in its beginning, and Nelson Glueck included Abila in his classic survey of the Transjordan at the end of this era which I label the period of the early investigators. 4

There is no known investigation of Abila prior to the nineteenth century. Schoville's "Pious Pilgrim" category fits better the well-known sites associated with biblical events which for the most part are located in Cis-Jordan. Much of such interest came in the wake of the conversion of Constantine and his mother Helena's identification of important sites. The period of the Crusades revived European interest in the "Holy Land." Abila's peripheral geographic location and the lack of any identification of the site with important events recorded in the Bible insured its relative obscurity during this period.

Following World War II archaeological field work in SyroPalestine was refined even further and a multidisciplinary approach was adopted. Now archaeological excavations began to employ modem technologies, with experts from a variety of disciplines examining the material culture to glean the greatest possible evidence from remains. 5 The investigation of Abila has also undergone these changes. The Department of Antiquities of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has undertaken rescue excavations of several of the famed tombs of Abila in the late 1950's as well as in

The nineteenth century brought renewed European interest in Palestine and Syria with the growth of colonialism. Many Europeans were stationed in the Levant serving as liaisons, diplomats, and advisors. These Europeans, as well as others looking for adventure and seeking to satisfy their "wanderlust," came to Palestine to explore and map the region. These feelings were of course mixed with a desire to

3

See discussion below for more on these explorer-scholars.

4

For more on Schumacher and Glueck see discussion below.

1For

an excellent survey of the history of American archaeology in the Middle East see Philip J. King, American Archaeology in the Mideast: A History of the American Schools of Oriental Research, (Philadelphia: The American Schools of Oriental Research, 1983).

5See Thomas E. Levy, "From Camels to Computers: A Short History of Archaeological Method," Biblical Archaeology Review 21.4 (1995), pp. 44-51, 64-65. See also idem, ed., The Archaeology of Society in the Holy Land (New York: Facts on File, 1995).

See Keith N. Schoville, Biblical Archaeology in Focus, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978) esp. pp. 79-94. 2

6

Exploration and Minor Excavations of Abila

1980's. In the mid 1980's a French team of archaeologists and conservators under the leadership of Alix Barbet, Director of the Centre d'Etude des Peintures Romaines, worked in several of the frescoed tombs in an attempt to record and preserve the exquisitely painted walls and ceilings of the subterranean burial chambers. The major excavation of the site began with a survey in 1980 under the leadership of W. Harold Mare, who has investigated the site every other summer since that time. The author has been a part of this team since 1984. This work has utilized a multidisciplinary team to investigate the site including ethnoarchaeologists, geologists, a botanist, and an entomologist. It has also employed the use of computers, aerial photography, and neutron activation analysis of pottery.

scholar who served as an adviser to the German Ambassador to the Emperor of Russia. When staying in Damascus in 1805, Seetzen decided to journey to the rarely traveled area to the south of Damascus, and east of Lake Tiberias (the Sea of Galilee) and the Jordan River. He was warned by those in Damascus not to make this journey and several local guides declined to lead him into the region which they believed to be too dangerous because it was inhabited by much feared Bedouin tribes. After some trouble he found an Armenian guide named Ibrahim, a former employee of the Turkish Pasha of Acre, who was willing to lead him on his journey. So his journey began on horseback December 12, 1805 from Damascus. Seetzen and his guide traveled south and used his "passport," correspondence from the Pasha of Damascus, to persuade local sheiks to provide him with an armed guard. After experiencing repeated trouble, he was forced to turn back to Damascus on December 20, 1805.9

The following is a chronological summary of the exploration and minor excavations at Abila. This is intended to familiarize the reader with work already carried out at the site and the prospect for future investigations. It will also serve as an example of the evolution which has taken place in Near Eastern archaeology in the last two centuries.

Undaunted, Seetzen searched again for a new guide and had one recommended by a French physician living in Damascus. His new guide was Yussuf al-Mulki, an Arab Christian trader from Damascus. They left Damascus on January 19, 1806, with Seetzen dressed in the garb of an Arab sheik. Seetzen decided to journey west to Mount Hermon and then south following the headwaters of the Jordan River. He traveled to Banias and explored the ruins there, but his guide refused to travel with him to the east side of the Jordan River. Seetzen was determined to go ahead alone with only his pistol and some paper for the collection of plant samples, since he was traveling under the guise of a medical doctor. He gave his guide, who traveled on to Tiberias on the west side of the lake, most of his possessions and asked him to wait for his return. Seetzenjourneyed part way around the lake but soon ran into more trouble and finally ended up without a pistol or money, although he did manage to walk to Tiberias and rejoin his guide.

Explorer-Scholar Period (c. 1800-1890)

The first stage was the exploration-scholar stage, the period when European and American scholars traveled to the "Holy Land" in search of sites mentioned in the Bible and other ancient literature. 6 Brunnow and Domaszewski list more than two hundred works published between 1806 and 1904 which are "Reisenwerke" or travel works. 7 This useful bibliography indicates the growing interest in Europe and America of travels to Syria and Palestine. Ulrich Jasper Seetzen 1806 Ulrich Seetzen, the first European to explore the ruins of Tell Abil, identify the site as Abila in 1806. In the introduction to Seetzen's work William Hamilton, the Secretary of the Palestine Association of London, comments that while it was the custom of the day to publish travels to then remote parts of the world that only "a small part of Palestine has been frequently visited by Europeans." 8 Seetzen who is best known as the "discoverer" of Gerasa began his travels to the Middle East in 1802. He was a German

He then headed toward the southern end of Lake Tiberias and came to the confluence of the Jordan and the ShariatManadria Rivers (also known as Heramack or Yarmuk River). After journeying to the north along the lakeshore, Seetzen then decided to cross the Yarmuk and explore the ruins of M'kess (Umm Qeis), which he identified correctly as Gadara and then go on to Abil and Edrei. ' 0 His guide, Yussef, refused to go with him on this part of the journey. Seetzen managed to find another guide and each of them disguised himself as "a mesloch or a common beggar." 11 After examining the ruins of M'Kess Seetzen wanted to explore the ruins of Tell Abil, which he described as being "a few leagues from hence towards the east, on the southern

6For more on the early exploration of Jordan see Pierre M. Bikai, ed. ACOR: The First 25 Years, The American Center of Oriental Research: 1968-1993 (Amman: American Center of Oriental Research, 1993), pp. 2-7.

7This

valuable work includes a bibliography plus a summary of the itineraries of these early travelers. See Rudolf Ernst Brunnow and Alfred v. Domaszewski, Die Provincia Arabia, (Strassburg: Karl J. Trubner, 1904) Vol. I, pp. 481-507; Vol. II pp. 339-342; Vol. III, pp. 363-367. 8This interesting account is a travel journal that records the personal adventures and struggles of this explorer. It is from this early period of exploration that much of the romanticized adventures of archaeologists find their origin and which Hollywood has used as its inspiration in such wellknown films as the Indiana Jones trilogy. Ulrich J. Seetzen, A Brief Account of the Countries Adjoining the Lake of Tiberius, the Jordan, and the Dead Sea, (Bath: Palestine Association of London, 1810), p. iv.

9 Seetzen,

A Brief Account, p. 13.

10He states that he thinks there is reason to believe that M'kees was ancient Gadara. See Seetzen, A Brief Account, p. 27.

11Seetzen,

7

A Brief Account, p. 24.

Ancient Abila: An Archaeological History side of the Shariat-Manadra." 12 Seetzen remarks that the area surrounding Tell Abil was inhabited by Arabs of the Beni-Sahhar tribe.

Johann Ludwig Burckhardt 1812 The second European visitor to the environs of Tell Abil was J. L. Burckhardt. 17 This Swiss explorer-scholar traveled as Seetzen did in the guise of an Arab sheik. Burckhardt took the name Ibrahim while he was traveling. He is most famous for his "discovery" of the lost city of Petra in the south of Jordan. His knowledge of Arabic and his dress as an Arab sheik allowed him to find the route to the now famous city of Petra in the summer of 1812. In the months of April and May of 1812 he began his journey from Damascus to the Hauran area and to the east of Lake Tiberias. After traveling to the area of Jerash he headed toward Aijlun where he reported to the castle of Chief Youssef el Barekat. Youssef had been under siege for several months and had gone to report this to the Aga of Tabaria (Tiberias). In his absence Youssef left orders not to allow any stranger into the castle. This must be the castle which still stands on a summit near Aijlun which dates to the Crusader period and was built by Arabs. It has a commanding view of the Jordan valley and the highlands near Aijlun. He then made his way to El Hossn (al Husan) where he found the troops of the Aga of Tabaria being forcibly quartered by the people of the town. Here he stayed in the house where Seetzen had stayed six years earlier. He traveled the next day to Erbad (Irbid) and made inquiries as to the location of Beit el Ras. He then began his journey to the village of Beit Ras to examine the ruins, but lost his way and eventually came to the village of El Hereimy and then to the town of Hebras where he spent the night. In Hebras on May 4, 1812, Burckhardt was less than three miles from Abila. He reports that Hebras was three hours from lrbid and the principal city of the district of Kefarat. Seetzen remarked that the ruins of Abila are one and half hours to the northeast of He bras. The later statement seems to slightly overestimated distance to the ruins. 18 He reports that no buildings or columns remain standing at Abila and that "I was told that there are fragments of columns of a very large size." 19 It appears he never visited Abila but instead decided to visit Umm Qeis the next day May 5, 1812.

Seetzen's new guide, Aoser, was afraid of the tribe of the Beni-Sahhar so he refused to take Seetzen to Tell Abil but did promise to take him to Beit er-Ras. However, Aoser led Seetzen only as far as Irbid and then went on to his home in the nearby town of al-Hoessan (al-Husan). Seetzen, now alone, made his way to Beit Ras where he asked three Arabs to lead him to Tell Abil. They at first agreed until he revealed to them that he was not searching for treasure. Later he met with the Sheik of Beit Ras who provided him with another guide to lead him to Tell Abil. After some difficulty Seetzen reached Abil on February 25, 1806. 13 He described Abila as being situated on the angle of a mountain formed by two bases and reported that the higher slopes were full of caverns. This must be a description of the two hills which form the site of Abila, Khribet Umm el Amad to the south and Tell Abil to the north. The numerous caverns Seetzen saw are probably some of the many tombs for which Abila is famous. Seetzen notes that the "town is in complete ruins and deserted. "14 No inhabitants remain and no buildings are standing when he visited the site, but he remarks that the former glory of the city is evident. Seetzen saw extensive remains of the city walls, a number of arches intact, and "columns of basalt, marble, and grey granite." 15 The columns that he saw may be the ones still visible in the area between the two summits, the current Areas B, C, and E. He mentions two great columns outside of the walls of the city that were of great magnitude which he believed mark the site of a temple. He may have been referring to the two large monolithic pillars on top of Khirbet Umm el Amad (Area D). We now know that these pillars were part of a monumental entranceway to a large Byzantine basilica. Seetzen then returned to Beit Ras and noted that his trip had taken ten days from the time he left Irbid to the time of his return. His fascinating journey continues south to J erash, Salt, Amman, Madaba, Kerak and then around the southern end of the Dead Sea and back north to Bethlehem and Jerusalem. He remained in Jerusalem for Easter and then left for Joppa on May 25, 1806. 16

Johann Gottfried Wetzstein Johann Gottfried Wetzstein, the Imperial Prussian Consul in Damascus, traveled to the Hauran and Trachonitis in the spring of 185820 and the summer of 1860. He traveled along with his companion Doergen from April 4 to May 17Perhaps due to his Swiss heritage Burckhardt's name is adapted to the language of the different sources that list it variously as John Lewis, Jean Louis, and Johann Ludwig.

12

Seetzen, A Brief Account, p. 29. 18Hebras is near to Abila in fact many of the local workers at the American Expedition to Abila are from this village and they walk to work each morning.

13See

Ulrich Jasper Seetzen, Reisen durch Syrien, Paliistina, Phonicien, die Transjordan-Lander, Arabia Petraea und Unter-Aegyptian, (Berlin: G. Reimer, 1854) I, pp. 371-375. 14Seetzen, A

Brief Account, p. 30.

15 Seetzen, A

Brief Account, p.30.

16See

19John Louis Burckhardt, Travels in Syria and the Holy Land (New York: AMS Press, 1983 reprint of 1882 edition), pp. 251-265.

Johann Gottfried Wetzstein, Reisebericht iiber Hauran und die Trachonen nebst einem Anhang iiber die Sabiiischen Denkmaler in Ostsyrien (Berlin: Dietrich Reimer, 1860). 20

Seetzen. A Brief Account, 1810, p. 47.

8

Exploration and Minor Excavations of Abila 17, 1858, leaving Damascus and traveling south - southeast towards the mountainous region of Safa.21 Then he turned east toward Kanawat (ancient Canatha) and on to Bosra (ancient Bostra) and finally back to Damascus. 22

Abel Beth Maacah. 25 Wetzstein, in his discussion of places in northern Transjordan mentioned in the Bible, cites Abila in a discussion of I Chronicles 5:26 and II Kings 15:29.26 The second reference mentions Tiglath Pileser's campaign against various cities and regions in Syro-Palestine, including Abel-Beth-Maacah which Wetstein concludes could only be Abil near Irbid. He states:

His second trip, again with Doergen, began in Damascus on April 19, 1860 and proceeded south toward Jordan. This journey was intended to be a scientific research venture to examine the geology, climate, vegetation, architecture, and archaeological ruins. They took along barometers and personnel to draw the terrain, architectural features, and other interesting items found along the way in order to achieve this purpose. During these two trips they also gathered Greek and Latin inscriptions. 23

"Denn wiihrend er in Galilaa eine Anzahl fester Platze zu erobem hatte, scheint er in Peraa nach 2. Kon. 15, 29 nur bei Abel (Abil in Erbed) Widerstand gefunden zu haben, einem Platze, der wegen seiner ungemein starken Lage am siidlichen Ufer des Jermuk selbst als Ruine noch der Zufluchtsort des Landes bei einem feindlichen Einfalle werden konnte.'' 27

They traveled south-southwest towards Banias and then to Lake Tiberias (Sea of Galilee). From there they traveled east into the Hauran, eventually arriving at Canawat (ancient Canatha). They then traveled south to Dera (ancient Adraa) then to the southeast in the district of Ajlun to the town of Ramtha, which was along the pilgrims' route to Mecca from Damascus. Then they moved west to Ajlun and on towards the south to the area of Es Salt, then on towards Jericho, and then back east toward Amman where they visited the ancient necropolis of the city. They then turned north to Jerash (ancient Gerasa) and then eventually arrived at Ramtha where they had a direct route to Damascus via the pilgrim's road. However, they decided instead to travel to the east to the sites of Beit Ras and Abil in the territory of the Beni Sadar tribe, mainly because they knew of these sites from the writings ofSeetzen and Burkhardt.

He then supports his argument about the strategic location of Abila by referring to the Battle of Y armuk which took place near Abila in AD. 634 or 635. 28 This was a decisive victory for the Muslim forces over the Byzantine troops. 29 This early suggestion by Wetzstein as to the identification of Abel Beth Maacah with Abila has been neglected or perhaps forgotten by most scholars. This possibility is ignored or dismissed by all modem scholars mainly because they mistakenly believe that there is no evidence of Bronze and Iron Age settlements at Abila. The importance of the strategic location of Abila should not be underestimated. This matter is discussed elsewhere in this work, but W etzstein's identification of the site with Abel Beth Maacah is the earliest consideration of the matter.

Beit Ras and Abil are described as being Canaanite towns in the area of lrbid. It is interesting to note that along the way they passed through the small village of Turra where they found an inscription which mentions a resident of Abila. 24 This inscription is important because it helps to define the territorial limits of the city which probably reached to the village of Turra. Unfortunately, Wetzstein provides little information about his visit to Abila in late June of 1860. After a short visit to Abila, Wetzstein and his team of investigators returned to Damascus and completed their 70 day journey on June 26, 1860.

Another traveler to the area of Abila was Selah Merrill, who traveled the region in 1875-1876. Lenzen and McQuitty record his visit to the nearby site of Beit Ras (Capitolias). 30 Referring to the same work, W. Harold

Selah Merrill

25 For

further discussion of this idea see Chapter Four.

261 Chronicles

5:26, "So the God oflsrael stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (that is, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria), who took the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He took them to Halah, Habor, Hara and the river of Gozan, where they are to this day," and II Kings 15:29, "In the time of Pekah king of Israel, TiglathPileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh and Razor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria."

The most important item which Wetzstein brings to the discussion of Abila is his identification of the site with

27 Johann

R. Doergen, "Ein Ausflug von Damaskus nach Sekka und Gassule," Zeitschrifi for allgemeine Erdkunde mit Unterstutzung der Gesellschaft for Erdkunde zu Berlin 8 (1860), 389-394.

Gottfried Wetzstein, Reisebericht iiber Hauran, pp. 101-102.

21 See

28 See Wetstein,

Hauran und die Trachonen, p. 102, footnote I.

further information about this journey see R. Doergen and H. Dove, "Nachricht iiber die Reise des Consuls Wetzstein von Damaskus o"pn E'K TWYau'ToO npoant0n, o"ptKtcx TE au TL~ TEµYnm npoc;; TOY 'AypfonaY E'nt T~c;;a'yonac;; µforic;; E'Y Tl] 'Ptt1µafrt1Y TTO/\Et."120

" ... So they !the forces of Ben-Hadad I set out and burnt some of the cities and sacked others, including Aion, as it was called, Dan, Ahellane and many others. When the king of Israel heard this, he left off building and fortifying Aramthon and returned in haste to bring help to his injured subjects .... "" 5

"He [Claudius] restored these lands to him as a debt due to his belonging to the family of Herod. But he also added Abila, which had been ruled by Lysanias, and all the land in the mountainous region of Lebanon as a gift out of his own territory, and he celebrated a treaty with Agrippa in the middle of the Forum of Rome." 121

These are two passages which mention Abel Beth Maacah. In the first, Josephus mentions Abelochea which is Abel Beth Maacah in an allusion to a passage from II Samuel 20: 14. He recounts Joab 's pursuit of Sabaios (Sheba) to the city of Abel Beth Maacah. This text adds little to om knowledge of the event.

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215

Ancient Abila: An Archaeological History

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