Maps and Plans
Tzaferis (1989) excavated Capernaum from 1978-1982 and divided up the strata
via pottery, coins, and oil lamps (
Magness, 1997) as follows:
Stratum |
Age (CE) |
I |
mid-10th century to 1033 |
II |
mid-9th to mid-10th century |
III |
750 to mid-9th century |
IV |
650 - 750 |
V |
early 7th century to 650 |
The table above comes from
Magness (1997). In
Stern et al (1993), Tzaferis dates Stratum V differently -
the first half of 7th century to first half of the 8th century - and goes on to state that
Stratum IV was apparently
destroyed in the earthquake that struck the region in 746 CE [as] evidenced by the great quantity of huge stones in the
piles of debris and by the ash covering the stratum throughout the area.
Stratum IV, according to Magness (1997) was apparently primarily dated based on a coin hoard found buried beneath a paving stone in a room in Area A
(Tzaferis 1989: 17; Wilson 1989: 145). The hoard
consists of 282
gold dinars of of the Umayyad "post-reform" type, dating from 696-97 to 743-44
(
Magness, 1997). The latest coin dated to
A.H. 126
(25 October 743 - 12 October 744 CE).
Wilson (1989:163-64) made the following comments about the hoard:
The latest dinar in the Capernaum hoard is dated A.H. 126, which means that the hoard could not have been buried before A.D. 744.
It may be possible, in this case, to pinpoint the date even more precisely. According to ancient historians,
a disastrous earthquake shook the Jordan Valley in A.D. 746, severely damaging the Temple Mount, destroying Khirbet Mefjer,
damaging Jerash, and, significantly, smashing Tiberias, some 19 km. from Capernaum. Evidently both history and nature
conspired against Capernaum during the years A.D. 744-746. First, the civil chaos following the death of
Hisham reached out into
Palestine, particularly involving such aristocratic estates as
Khirbet Minyeh, whose master could not have avoided being on the
wrong side of the conflict at some point. Under the dangerous circumstances, the owner of the hoard deposited his treasure. In the
very midst of this conflict, the earthquake played havoc up and down the entire Jordan Valley. If the hoard's owner was not
killed in the succession conflict, or destroyed along with his town in the earthquake, he may have fallen, or at least been prevented from returning to his fortune. . . . (Wilson 1989: 163-64)
Magness (1997) observed that while
the hoard could not have been buried before 744,
when the latest coins it contained were minted, it could have been deposited at any time after that date.
Magness (1997)
further noted that ceramic evidence (particularly when compared to ceramic evidence at Pella) was in conflict with the dating of Stratum IV and suggested
that the coins were deposited during the Abassid period - a time when there was
a noted shortage of Abassid coinage as the Abassids had moved their capital from Damascus to Baghdad and apparently fewer coins were minted in Syria.
This could then explain why
no coins were found in the hoard minted after
A.H. 126 (25 October 743 - 12 October 744 CE).
Magness (1997) went on to question whether there
was an earthquake destruction level at the top of stratum IV:
Elsewhere in the publication the destruction of stratum IV is attributed to the earthquake of 746-47.5
However, The evidence from stratum IV at Capernaum is inconsistent with earthquake destruction.
No human or animal victims have been discovered, there is no evidence for the extensive
collapse of buildings, and no assemblages of whole or restorable vessels were found
lying smashed on the floors. In fact, almost no whole or restored vessels are published
from Capernaum. The coins at Pella were found scattered on the floors of the buildings,
buried beneath the earthquake collapse. In contrast, at Capernaum the hoard was carefully
buried beneath the pavement of a room. It could have been deposited due to an impending
(and presumably, human) threat. However, since it does not fit the profile of an emergency hoard,
I believe that it represents the carefully hidden personal savings of an individual or individuals.
Finally, the fact that the ceramic assemblage from stratum IV at Capernaum differs
significantly from that associated with the 746-47 earthquake at Pella indicates that they are
not contemporary.
Footnotes
5 The structures of Stratum IV were probably all destroyed by an earthquake,
as is suggested by a huge rock resting upon and blocking Street 1, and by
the fallen debris, especially in Building D
(Tzaferis 1989: 16, 20).
Magness (1997) redated Stratum IV as well as the oldest layer, Stratum V, based on
ceramic evidence. While she noted that
the few whole or restorable vessels illustrated from stratified stratum V contexts
at Capernaum have parallels from the 746-47 earthquake destruction level at Pella, the absence of clearly later types,
such as Mefjer ware, suggests a terminus ante quem of ca. 750 for stratum V.
Magness (1997)
noted that Stratum V was a thin occupational level which means there is limited ceramic evidence. She suggested
that there appeared to be no break in the occupational sequence from V to IV.
Magness (1997) proposed redating Stratum IV and V as follows:
Stratum |
Age (CE) |
IV |
ca. 750 to the second half of the ninth century |
V |
ca. 700-750 |