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
The site is located in the Upper Galilee, approximately 9 km northeast of Safed[2] and 1 km north of Meroth, a Jewish village dating from the Late Roman and Byzantine periods.[3][4]
History
Twice mentioned in rabbinic literature,[5] particularly in the Jerusalem Talmud, Qision appears in the name of Rabbi Yohanan from Kasion (Hebrew: רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן דְּקַצִיּוֹן),[6][1] elsewhere as Karṣion (Hebrew: רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן דְּקַרְצִיוֹן),[7] a sage from the third century.[5] These references strongly suggest the presence of a Jewish community at the site during the second and third centuries CE.[5]
During the reign of the Roman Severan dynasty, Qision was part of the province of Syria Phoenice.[2]
Qision's ruins were first discovered in 1860 by Ernest Renan.[5] The Arabic term Khirbet Keisun, recorded in the PEF Survey of Palestine, preserves the ancient name.[3]
Monumental structure and complex
The discovery of a distinctive complex of structures in Qision, comprising a sizable monumental building and a western structure, unparalleled elsewhere, alongside an inscription honoring the Roman emperor (see below), has sparked significant scholarly debate about its intended function. Opinions are split between two interpretations: Jewish synagogue or a Syro-Phoenician Roman temple.[3][4]
Ernest Renan, who discovered the site in 1860, and Victor Guérin, who referenced it in his 1880 book, both identified the structure as a synagogue. However, PEF explorers Conder and Kitchener, following their visit in 1877, proposed identifying it with a Roman temple, dating back to the same period as the Temple at Kedesh.[5]
In the 20th century, E.W.G. Masterman, in his 1909 writing, identified the site as a synagogue. Conversely, in a 1916 study, E. Kohl and C. Watzinger classified it as a temple, drawing parallels to Kedesh and other Roman temples nearby. In 1987, following a survey, A. Bar Oz and Zvi Ilan concluded that it was a public building with pagan characteristics.[5]
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] Despite their consensus that it was not a synagogue, they arrived at differing conclusions.[5]
Killebrew proposed that the structure might have functioned as part of 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][8] 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.
- ^ a b Hachlili, Rachel (2013-01-01), "Supplement: Qazion—A Galilean Riddle", Ancient Synagogues - Archaeology and Art: New Discoveries and Current Research, Brill, pp. 617–682, ISBN 978-90-04-25772-6, retrieved 2024-04-05
- ^ a b c d e f g Hachlili, Rachel (2013-01-01), "Supplement: Qazion—A Galilean Riddle", Ancient Synagogues - Archaeology and Art: New Discoveries and Current Research, Brill, pp. 617–682, ISBN 978-90-04-25772-6, retrieved 2024-04-05
- ^ "Jerusalem Talmud Beitzah 5:5:2". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
- ^ "Jerusalem Talmud Berakhot 8:6:4". www.sefaria.org. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
- ^ Renan, E. (1871) Mission de Phénicie p. 774