חורבת קציון (Hebrew) | |
Alternative name | Horvat Qazyon (Heb.) Khirbet Qasyun (Ar.) |
---|---|
Location | Sde Eliezer, Northern District, Israel |
Region | Upper Galilee |
Coordinates | 33°02′35″N 35°31′45″E / 33.04306°N 35.52917°E |
Palestine grid | 199/272 |
Type | Settlement, cultic structure (synagogue?) |
History | |
Periods | Roman period |
Associated with | Jews |
Site notes | |
Condition | In ruins |
Public access | Yes |
Qision (Hebrew: קַצִיּוֹן, also spelled Qazion and Qatsion) was an ancient settlement in Upper Galilee, now an archaeological site in northern Israel, featuring the ruins of the settlement, including a public building, possibly an ancient synagogue, alongside an inscription dedicated to the Roman emperor Septimius Severus and his family commissioned by the local Jewish community.[1][2]
The site is known as Ḥorvat Qazyon[2] (Hebrew: חורבת קציון), and in Arabic as Khirbet Qasyun or Khirbet Keisun.[1][3]
Location and history
The site is located in the Upper Galilee, approximately 9 km northeast of Safed[2] and 1 km north of Meroth.[3]
During the reign of the Roman Severan dynasty, Qision was part of the province of Syria Phoenice.[2]
The Arabic term Khirbet Keisun, recorded in the PEF Survey of Palestine, preserves the ancient name.[3]
Qision is the birthplace or hometown of Rabbi Yohanan from Kasion (Hebrew: רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן דְּקַצִיּוֹן; also Karṣion[4]), a sage mentioned in the Jerusalem Talmud.[1]
Public structure
A structure discovered in Qision, unparalleled elsewhere and containing an inscription dedicated to the Roman emperor (see below), has sparked significant scholarly debate about its purpose, with opinions divided between two interpretations: Jewish synagogue or a Syro-Phoenician Roman temple.[3]
In an effort to resolve this dispute, Rachel Hachlili and Ann E. Killebrew undertook three survey seasons at the site in 1992 and 1997.[3]
Killebrew proposed that the structure, dating from the late second and early third century CE, might have functioned as a cultic complex for ceremonies or festivals, constructed by local Jews to honor the imperial family of Septimius Severus.[3]
Inscription
A Greek-language inscription was found in Qision, dating to 195/6 CE.[2] Discovered near an ancient building in 1860 by Ernest Renan,[3][5] it was rediscovered in 1984.[2] This inscription, originally part of a lintel, is dedicated to the salvation of Septimius Severus and his family.[2]
The inscription is missing a section from the right corner. On the left side, a wreath with stylized leaves ending in a ribbon bound in a 'Hercules' knot features the name of Julia Domna. A similar wreath on the right side is missing.[2]
The inscription was dedicated by the local Jewish community, as indicated in its text "in accord with the vow of the Jews" (originally [ἐξ] | εὐχῆς Ἰουδαίων). The Jewish villagers of Qision sought to display their loyalty to the imperial family, mirroring the practices of other communities in the province of Syria.[2]
See also
- Alma – a nearby site with the remnants of an ancient synagogue along with Jewish inscriptions
- Kalybe (temple) for cult of the emperor
- Roman imperial cult
References
- ^ a b c Avi-Yonah, Michael (1976). "Gazetteer of Roman Palestine". Qedem. 5: 89. ISSN 0333-5844.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "XXVII. Qision (mod. Ḥ. Qazyon)", Corpus Inscriptionum Iudaeae/Palaestinae (CIIP): Galilaea and Northern Regions (5876-6924), vol. V/part 1, De Gruyter, pp. 160–162, 2023, doi:10.1515/9783110715774-035, ISBN 978-3-11-071577-4, retrieved 2024-04-04
- ^ a b c d e f g Killebrew, Ann E. (2013). "Qazion: A Late Second–Early Third-Century CE Rural Cultic Complex in the Upper Galilee Dedicated to Septimius Severus and His Family". Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies. 1 (2): 113–160. ISSN 2166-3556.
- ^ "Jerusalem Talmud Beitzah 5:5:2". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
- ^ Renan, E. (1871) Mission de Phénicie p. 774