A Jewish Settlement in the Chora of Gadara? The Case of Tall Zira'a during the late Hellenistic and Early Roman Times

Schöpf, Friederike

Abstract

Tall Zirāʿa (32°37'14.19"N. 35°39'22.01"O) is situated in the Wadi el-Arab, in the hinterland of the Decapolis city Gadara. The cultural layer of the tell measures max. 16 m in height, and bears witness to its 5000 years of settlement history.1 Archaeological work at the site was undertaken by the Biblical Archaeological Institute Wuppertal (BAI) and the German Protestant Institute of Archaeology in Amman (GPIA), headed by Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. hc. Dieter Vieweger, Dr. Jutta Häser, and Dr. Katharina Schmidt. During the excavation campaigns (2003–2011, and 2018–2019) in a total of three areas on top of the tall, numerous finds of chalkstone vessels were documented. Those date to the Late Hellenistic and Early Roman periods and are interpreted as objects for certain Jewish purity concerns. The appearance of Jewish connotated material in a mostly gentile environment inside the chora of this Decapolis city poses a question: where did the Jews of Tall Zirāʽa come from? The following article will present a historical introduction and explanation of the settlement. Moreover, a short explanation of chalkstone vessels, and related “Jewish” material culture will be given beforehand. The special case of Tall Zirāʽa is further demonstrated according to the diverse assemblage of chalkstone vessels, incorporating imported vessels from Judaea, the Galilee, and Golan, and also locally manufactured objects.