Susita

December 15, 2009

A short hike up a rough path revealed an archaeological site that had obviously been well worked for some years—ten, I learned later. The well-preserved, wide, basalt flagstone road created a rather dramatic entrance to the city. At the height of its glory, it had been lined with red granite columns imported from Egypt, which testifies to the wealth the city once enjoyed.

Off this main road, were an amazing number of remains of walled homes arranged around a stone-paved courtyard. Large pieces of granite columns and capitals were scattered on the ground near the remains of a Byzantine-era cathedral. However, the most interesting were all the evidences of a very sophisticated water system, including the largest Byzantine cistern ever found and many stone-covered channels, which allowed for a large population. I learned later that the Romans had built an aqueduct that carried water here from 50 kilometers (31 miles) away!

There were only a couple of posted notes, but surprisingly, when I got to work the next day, I received an article from Isranet about new digging at Susita. New finds this summer included three figurines of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, the second basilica (a roofed structure used for public gatherings) found in Israel, and Israel’s first-ever exposed, first-century AD odeion (a small, roofed theater-like structure). While an average theater held some 4,000 seats, an odeion held 600. Unfortunately, Teri and I had not walked far enough to find it.

Susita is the city’s Aramaic or Hebrew name, but as a Greco-Roman city, it was called Hippos and was one of the ten cities of the Decapolis (see Matt. 4:25). Its history spans from the third century BC, when it was built by Greek colonists, to the eighth century AD, when it was destroyed by an earthquake. In the first century, it was the sworn enemy of the Jewish city of Tiberias. Though residents at that time may have heard the testimony of the Gadarene demoniac (Mark 5:1–20), Christianity didn’t take hold there until the fourth century.

However, this hill also has some interesting modern history. In the 1967 Six-Day War, it served as an Israeli outpost, close to the Syrians up above on the Golan Heights. A bunker, a covered trench following the ancient waterway, and headquarters buildings remain on the site, as well as cordoned off mine fields on each side of the path walking up the hill. Susita is a great place to visit, but do your homework first and learn all you can before you go.

 

Photo Credit: Charleeda Sprinkle

Photo Credit: