|
Pella in the
north Jordan Valley is one of the largest and most important
archaeological sites in the region. Situated on the banks of the
Wadi Jirm, it contains buildings from the Roman, Byzantine and
Islamic periods (2nd to 14th centuries A.D.), but archaeologists
believe that it stands on top of a much older site, which has
been inhabited since 5,000B.C.
At present
there are columns, a few buildings and a small amphitheatre to
be seen, but Pella is still in the process of being excavated
and archaeologists predict that when it is fully restored, it
will be at least as large as Jerash. |
|
Pella is a favorite of archaeologists - it is
exceptionally rich in antiquities some of which are exceedingly
old. Besides the excavated ruins from the Greco-Roman Period
Pella offers visitors the opportunity to see remains of a
Chalcolithic settlement from the 4th millennium BC and the
remains of Bronze and Iron Age walled cities.
Tabaqat Fahl is a
modern village near ancient Pella where human presence dates
back to over a quarter of a million years. Although the initial
inhabitants were nomadic by the Bronze Age Pella had developed
into a significant walled city. Under Roman rule this was one of
the cities of the Decapolis and roads linked Tabaqat Fahl to
Gerasa,
Abila and Scythopolis on the far side of the River Jordan.
Although the Bible
makes no reference to Pella it was a significant trading center
and other historical documents from that period do mention it
frequently. Christians began settling in Pella after they fled
the Roman siege of
Jerusalem in 70 AD and Christianity was well established by
the middle of the 2nd century.
|
