It was mentioned in a previous report about the ten cities of the Decapolis (a group of ten cities on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire in Judea and Syria. The ten cities were not an official league or political unit, but they were grouped together because of their language, culture, location, and political status. The Decapolis cities were centres of Greek and Roman culture in a region that was otherwise Semitic).
Umm Qais was one of them.
‘Umm’ used as a prefix usually means ‘the mother of’, this could also be written as ‘Om’ - as in Om Ali, an Egyptian dessert and Umm Kolthom who was regarded as the greatest ever female singer in Arabic history. Just to illustrate the difficulty in translating Arabic to our writing, she is also known as Om Kalsoum, Om Koulsum, Om Kalthoum, Oumme Kalsoum and Umm Kolthoum.
Anyway, Qais is derived from Caius/Gaius, a Roman name.
Also, and to confuse matters further, Umm Qais, was known in Hebrew as Gadara (fence or border).
Around the time of 66AD, in the early stages of a Jewish revolt, the area around the city was razed by the Roman, Vespasian, having no mercy on any persons whatsoever. He placed a garrison in the city when it surrendered and extended it further adding several long aqueducts. The Roman Empire gradually became Christian and the city became an important seat of learning until about 636AD when it came under Muslim rule – but only remained so for just over a hundred years when it was all but destroyed by an earthquake.
The city was then abandoned and the usual pilfering of the stones and monuments took place.
The ruins now tell of a sizeable city with two theatres, a temple, a basilica, and many important buildings. Running from east to west was a double colonnaded paved street. It is thought the ‘suburbs’ stretched all the way down to the Sea of Galilee several kilometres away.
Excavations have been taking place since the 1930’s, but as the following pictures show, the site is still far from complete and is generally in poor condition.
There are no markers for information, no protective fencing, little to make out other than many piles of overgrown stones marking where there probably was a building but of unknown use.
In saying that though it has an ‘unspoilt’ atmosphere to it and any amateur archaeologists would feel compelled to help out a little to get things a little more ship shape.
There is an air of ‘we’ll dig a bit here and there to see what there is but we don’t have the time or money to do much else’.
So – that’s where it is. X marks the spot –
Umm Qais was one of them.
‘Umm’ used as a prefix usually means ‘the mother of’, this could also be written as ‘Om’ - as in Om Ali, an Egyptian dessert and Umm Kolthom who was regarded as the greatest ever female singer in Arabic history. Just to illustrate the difficulty in translating Arabic to our writing, she is also known as Om Kalsoum, Om Koulsum, Om Kalthoum, Oumme Kalsoum and Umm Kolthoum.
Anyway, Qais is derived from Caius/Gaius, a Roman name.
Also, and to confuse matters further, Umm Qais, was known in Hebrew as Gadara (fence or border).
Around the time of 66AD, in the early stages of a Jewish revolt, the area around the city was razed by the Roman, Vespasian, having no mercy on any persons whatsoever. He placed a garrison in the city when it surrendered and extended it further adding several long aqueducts. The Roman Empire gradually became Christian and the city became an important seat of learning until about 636AD when it came under Muslim rule – but only remained so for just over a hundred years when it was all but destroyed by an earthquake.
The city was then abandoned and the usual pilfering of the stones and monuments took place.
The ruins now tell of a sizeable city with two theatres, a temple, a basilica, and many important buildings. Running from east to west was a double colonnaded paved street. It is thought the ‘suburbs’ stretched all the way down to the Sea of Galilee several kilometres away.
Excavations have been taking place since the 1930’s, but as the following pictures show, the site is still far from complete and is generally in poor condition.
There are no markers for information, no protective fencing, little to make out other than many piles of overgrown stones marking where there probably was a building but of unknown use.
In saying that though it has an ‘unspoilt’ atmosphere to it and any amateur archaeologists would feel compelled to help out a little to get things a little more ship shape.
There is an air of ‘we’ll dig a bit here and there to see what there is but we don’t have the time or money to do much else’.
So – that’s where it is. X marks the spot –
Overlooking the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights –
We enter from the car park –
And notice the Spring greenery err......... springing up –
We make our way into the site there are numerous bits and pieces just laying around waiting to be either pilfered or used –
Anyway, we start to see some buildings –
And more stuff dumped at the side of the path –
My eyes are initially drawn to the more modern, immediately at the edge of the site – the defensive positions overlooking the Golan Heights –
And so, in no particular order, we had a wander round –
One of the first things was one of the amphitheatres that had had all its stones stolen –
In short order though we came to another one (must have been a spare) –
A nice touch was ‘up in the Gods’, the very top row of seats looked (for a stone one anyway) a bit more comfortable –
We then had a wander up the main colonnaded street, branching off left and right (more left that right as to go right meant disappearing down the steep hill to the valley near the Sea of Galilee) –
Ye Olde Cart Tracks
Off to the side were various unknown buildings –
A tourist? –
Further along were random holes dug to see what was still underneath the top levels of rubble and earth –
And sadly, but fairly predictably, a section of mosaic flooring discovered but abandoned fifty metres or so from the main ‘street’ in the middle of nowhere awaiting some form of rescue or preservation –
And to leave you with the thought of kids, no matter what their nationality or upbringing, just can’t resist putting their feet where they’re not supposed to – “Oi you! Daughter! Get off that bloody mosaic will ya!” –
So, if you have a spare few million Dinars doing nothing, maybe you could help the Antiquities Authority and have a bit of a go at preserving this one of many historical sites?
By the way, never go to these places on a Friday afternoon. It was packed as it's the first day of the weekend here and, and as it should be, the locals get in for free.
By the way, never go to these places on a Friday afternoon. It was packed as it's the first day of the weekend here and, and as it should be, the locals get in for free.