Gadara
Aerial Photograph of Gadara/Umm QaisAPAAME CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
| Transliterated Name | Language | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Gadara | Greek | Γάδαρα |
| Gedaris | Greek | Γαδαρίς |
| Umm Qeis | Arabic | ومم قييس |
- Fig. 1 - Location Map
from El-Khouri and Omoush (2015)
Figure 1
Map of Jordan, location of Gadara.
El-Khouri and Omoush (2015)
- Gadara in Google Earth
Gadara
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- Site plan of Ancient Gadara
from www.BibleIsTrue.com (Lion Tracks Ministries)
Map of Ancient Gadara
www.BibleIsTrue.com (Lion Tracks Ministries) - Fig. 1- Plan of Umm Qays
(ancient Gadara) Areas I and III from Vriezen and Mulder (1997)
Figure 1
Plan of Umm Qays (ancient Gadara) Areas I and III.
Vriezen and Mulder (1997) - Fig. 6 - The Terrace and
its buildings in the Byzantine Period (1st half of 6th century) from Vriezen and Mulder (1997)
Figure 6
The Terrace and its buildings in the Byzantine Period (first half of sixth century).
Vriezen and Mulder (1997) - Fig. 2 - Two phases of Abassid
occupation in Area Z from El-Khouri and Omoush (2015)
Figure 2
The first and the second phases of occupation in the Abbasid Period, the second phase is shown in light grey, the first phase is shown in dark grey.
El-Khouri and Omoush (2015)
- Site plan of Ancient Gadara
from www.BibleIsTrue.com (Lion Tracks Ministries)
Map of Ancient Gadara
www.BibleIsTrue.com (Lion Tracks Ministries) - Fig. 1- Plan of Umm Qays
(ancient Gadara) Areas I and III from Vriezen and Mulder (1997)
Figure 1
Plan of Umm Qays (ancient Gadara) Areas I and III.
Vriezen and Mulder (1997) - Fig. 6 - The Terrace and
its buildings in the Byzantine Period (1st half of 6th century) from Vriezen and Mulder (1997)
Figure 6
The Terrace and its buildings in the Byzantine Period (first half of sixth century).
Vriezen and Mulder (1997) - Fig. 2 - Two phases of Abassid
occupation in Area Z from El-Khouri and Omoush (2015)
Figure 2
The first and the second phases of occupation in the Abbasid Period, the second phase is shown in light grey, the first phase is shown in dark grey.
El-Khouri and Omoush (2015)
- Fig. 4 - Abassid constructions
in SE part of excavations from El-Khouri and Omoush (2015)
Figure 4
Top view of the Abbasid constructions in squares E6, E7, F6 and F7, older constructions are also shown in the picture.
JW: N is to the left
El-Khouri and Omoush (2015) - Fig. 3 - Mosaic Floor
in Squares C9 and C10 of Area Z from El-Khouri and Omoush (2015)
Figure 3
The Mosaic floor in Squares C9 and C10, Umayyad and first Abbasid Phase of occupation.
El-Khouri and Omoush (2015) - Fig. 3 - Fallen columns
in Gadara from Walmsley (2007)
Figure 11
Columns down at Jadar, A.D. 749
(Walmsley)
Walmsley (2007) - Fig. 6.14b - Slipped arch-stones
at the northern entrance of the western theatre from Rababeh (2005)
Fig. 6.14b
Detailed view of the northern entrance of the western theatre at Gadara, showing the stepped barrel vaults
Rababeh (2005)
- Fig. 1- Plan of Umm Qays (ancient Gadara)
Areas I and III from Vriezen and Mulder (1997)
Figure 1
Plan of Umm Qays (ancient Gadara) Areas I and III.
Vriezen and Mulder (1997) - Fig. 11- Fallen Columns
from Walmsley (2007)
Figure 11
Columns down at Jadar, A.D. 749 (Walmsley).
Walmsley (2007)
El-Khouri and Omoush (2015:14) identified two phases of Abassid occupation - the first from 750-800 CE and the second from 800 CE to 1000/1050 CE. El-Khouri and Omoush (2015:15) noted the presence of
ancient wall destruction (fallen stone layers)in many
squares underneath the Abbasid layers, especially in Squares F5 and F6.They also noted the reuse of architectural elements in Abbasid constructions as well as prior destruction of a mosaic floor (El-Khouri and Omoush, 2015:16-17). Dating was based on pottery.
Vriezen and Mulder (1997:323) reported that two churches in Gadara were destroyed by an earthquake
presumably the earthquake of 749.
The ruins near Umm Qays (ancient Gadara) were surveyed in 1974 by a team from the German Protestant Institute for the Archaeology of the Holy Land headed by Ute Wagner-Lux. The ruins of the ancient buildings cover a site measuring approximately 1600 x 450 m consisting of a walled city area and an extramural area. Inside the walled city, two areas can be discerned: an Acropolis (approximately 250 x 250 m) in the east and a large Lower City in the west. The main street of the city, Decumanus Maximus, runs east-west.Walmsley (2007) reports the following archeoseismic evidence at Gadara [Jadar)
Wagner-Lux and her team made a series of excavations on the large Terrace, situated at the bottom of the western slope of the Acropolis in 1976-1979 and in 1992. This site was labelled Area I. The Terrace, measuring 95 x 32 m, is bounded on the north by the Decumanus Maximus, to the south by a Roman theatre, whereas to the west a street, a cardo, aligned with vaulted rooms built against the Terrace's retaining wall, ran south from the decumanus to the theatre. In 1977 and in 1979 the northern end of the cardo (Area III) was excavated (FIG.1).
The Terrace may be divided roughly into three parts. In the northern part (32 x 32m), a colonnaded courtyard (a so-called atrium) was found. The courtyard is entered from the Decumanus Maximus by means of three entrances. The inner space was open to the air and on three sides (perhaps on all four sides) surrounded by a colonnade and a covered passageway. A line of rooms along the eastern side of the terrace open onto the eastern passageway.
In the central part, a church complex has been excavated, which consists of two churches. The larger one is situated right in the middle of the Terrace. It is a church of the "centralised type" consisting of a square building with a narthex attached to its west side. The second church is of the "basilica type". It is built against the south wall of the centralised church. The construction of the centralised church has been tentatively dated to the first half of the sixth century. Then, there was a courtyard to the south of it, similar to the one on its northern side.
The basilica was built at a later date, that is in the middle of the seventh century. Both church buildings were destroyed by an earthquake presumably the earthquake of 749.
The centralised church and the colonnaded courtyard represent the Byzantine building phase on the Terrace. The basilica is attributed to the Late Byzantine or the Early Omayyad Period. Underneath the floors of the church buildings and the courtyard, a pavement from the Roman period has been found. To the Roman phase also belong the Terrace's retaining walls and the structures along the cardo and Decumanus Maximus. This building phase has been tentatively dated to the end of the first or the beginning of the second century AD.
at Jadar [Gadara], on a ridge overlooking Lake Tiberias, the columns of the main east-west decumanus were toppled by the earthquake (fig. 11), permanently terminating the late antique configuration of the town.
| Seismic Effect | Location | Figure(s) | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collapsed Walls | Abbasid layers, especially in Squares F5 and F6
Figure 2 The first and the second phases of occupation in the Abbasid Period, the second phase is shown in light grey, the first phase is shown in dark grey. El-Khouri and Omoush (2015) |
|
|
| Re-used building elements | Abbasid layers
Figure 2 The first and the second phases of occupation in the Abbasid Period, the second phase is shown in light grey, the first phase is shown in dark grey. El-Khouri and Omoush (2015) |
Figure 4 Top view of the Abbasid constructions in squares E6, E7, F6 and F7, older constructions are also shown in the picture. JW: N is to the left El-Khouri and Omoush (2015) |
|
| Destruction of mosaic floor (dented from falling ashlars ?) | Squares C9 and C10 in Area Z
Figure 2 The first and the second phases of occupation in the Abbasid Period, the second phase is shown in light grey, the first phase is shown in dark grey. El-Khouri and Omoush (2015) |
Figure 3 The Mosaic floor in Squares C9 and C10, Umayyad and first Abbasid Phase of occupation. El-Khouri and Omoush (2015) |
|
| Fallen Columns | main east-west decumanus
Map of Ancient Gadara www.BibleIsTrue.com (Lion Tracks Ministries) |
Figure 11 Columns down at Jadar, A.D. 749 (Walmsley) Walmsley (2007) |
|
-
Earthquake Archeological Effects chart
of Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224)
Earthquake Archeological Effects (EAE)
Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224)
| Seismic Effect | Location | Figure(s) | Comments | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collapsed Walls | Abbasid layers, especially in Squares F5 and F6
Figure 2 The first and the second phases of occupation in the Abbasid Period, the second phase is shown in light grey, the first phase is shown in dark grey. El-Khouri and Omoush (2015) |
|
VIII+ | |
| Destruction of mosaic floor (dented from falling ashlars ?) | Squares C9 and C10 in Area Z
Figure 2 The first and the second phases of occupation in the Abbasid Period, the second phase is shown in light grey, the first phase is shown in dark grey. El-Khouri and Omoush (2015) |
Figure 3 The Mosaic floor in Squares C9 and C10, Umayyad and first Abbasid Phase of occupation. El-Khouri and Omoush (2015) |
|
VIII+ |
| Fallen Columns | main east-west decumanus
Map of Ancient Gadara www.BibleIsTrue.com (Lion Tracks Ministries) |
Figure 11 Columns down at Jadar, A.D. 749 (Walmsley) Walmsley (2007) |
|
V+ |