Sepphoris / Zippori

Sepphoris (or Tzippori) was a city in central Galilee.

Overview

Although the date of the city's establishment is a point of some dispute, it is at least as old as the 7th century BCE, when it was fortified by the ancient Assyrians, and subsequently served as an administrative center in the region under Babylonian, Persian and Hellenistic rule. Throughout this time period, the city was known as Sepphoris.

In 104 BCE, the Hasmoneans settled there under the leadership of Alexander Jannaeus. The city was renamed Tzippori and may have derived from the Hebrew word for 'bird,' tsippor, perhaps because of the bird's-eye view the hilltop provides.

The Hasmonean Kingdom was divided into five districts by the Roman pro-consul Gabinius and Sepphoris (Tzippori) came under the direct rule of the Romans in the year 37 BCE, when Herod the Great captured the city from Antigonus reportedly at the height of a snowstorm.

After Herod's death in 4 BCE, the Jewish inhabitants of Sepphoris (Tzippori) rebelled against Roman rule and the Roman army moved in under the command of the Roman Governor in Syria, Varus. Completely destroying the city, the Roman army then sold many of its inhabitants into slavery.

When Herod's son, Herod Antipas was made Tetrarch, or governor of Galilee, he rebuilt the city under the new name of Autocratis. The city became known as the "Ornament of the Galilee." An ancient route linking Tzippori to Legio, and further to the south to Sebaste-Samaria, is believed to have been paved by the Romans around this time. Sepphoris (Autocratis) of the time of Jesus was a large, Roman-influenced city and hotbed of political activism. While living in the nearby village of Nazareth, Jesus and his family may have done most of their business in Sepphoris (Autocratis). Later Christian tradition wold make Sepphoris the home of Mary's parents, Anne and Joachim.

The inhabitants of Sepphoris (Autocratis) did not join the resistance against Roman rule during the Jewish War. Rather, they signed a pact with the Roman army and opened the gates of the city to the Roman general Vespasian upon his arrival in 67 CE. They were then rewarded for this allegiance by having their city spared from destruction. Coins minted in the city carried the inscription Neronias and Eirenopolis, "City of Peace."

After the Jewish War, symbolism used on the coins was little different from other surrounding pagan city coins with depictions of laurel wreaths, palm trees, caduceus', and ears of barley. Just prior to the Bar Kokhba revolt, the city's name was changed yet again to Diocaesarea.

In the aftermath of the Bar Kokhba revolt, many Jewish refugees settled there, turning it into the center of religious and spiritual life in Galilee. According to Rabbinic tradition, Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi, one of the compilers of the Mishnah, was active in Sepphoris, along with the Sanhedrin, before moving to Tiberias by 150 CE.

Sepphoris in ancient sources

• See Sepphoris (sources)

Sepphoris in Scholarship

Sepphoris was first excavated by L. Waterman of the Univeristy of Michigan in 1931. In 1983, J. F. Strange of the University of South Florida began a survey of buildings, cisterns, and burial systems. A joint team from Duke University, NC, and the Hebrew University began work in 1985.

Related categories

• Herod Antipas (subject) / Herod Agrippa (subject) / Herod Agrippa II (subject)
• Roman Governors of Judea (subject)

References

• Sepphoris / In: The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ (1973-1987 Schurer / Vermes), book, 2 (1979) 172-176

• Sepphoris / James F. Strange / In: The Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism (2010 Collins / Harlow), edited volume, 1215-1217

External links

• Wikipedia / BiblePlaces.com

Pictures from the web

• Roman Cardo <BiblePlaces.com>