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Beth Guvrin (Maresha)
Also known as
Betogabris, Eleutheropolis, Tel Maresha, Tell Sandahanna, Beit
Jibrin, Bet Giblin, Beth-guvrin, Bet Guvrin, Gibelin, Mareshah |
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Beth Guvrin
Pictured here is the OT site of
Maresha, a city of Judah given to the clan of Caleb (Josh 15:44). It
was destroyed by Sennacherib in 701 B.C. and eventually became the
capital city of the Idumeans. After a destruction by the Parthians in
40 B.C., the population center moved two miles north to a place known as
Beth Guvrin. Beth Guvrin had been a suburb of Maresha but it became the
major living center by the Roman Period. |
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Amphitheater
Beth Guvrin eventually became Eleutheropolis
(“City of the Free”) in the Late Roman period (200 A.D.) when Emperor
Septimus Severus turned it into a major administrative center. The
amphitheater dates to this period and was used for animal and gladiator
fights. One of the most obvious differences between amphitheaters and
theaters is that an amphitheater makes an oval while a theater only
makes a half circle. |
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Bell Caves
Eight hundred bell-shaped pits in the area are remains of ancient
quarries, probably dating to the 4th-9th centuries A.D. Because this
stone was too soft to be used for building, people mined the stone to be
burnt for lime and used it in mortar and plaster. The quarry was opened
from a one-meter (3.5 ft.) hole in the hard Nari surface above, and then
was widened out to create the mine. |
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Columbarium
Pigeons were raised in antiquity for meat and for their dung, which was used
as fertilizer. This large columbarium dates to about 200 B.C. and was
shaped like a double cross nearly 100 feet (30 m) long. There were
approximately 1,900 niches in this columbarium. |
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Tomb of the Sidonian
Sometime in the Hellenistic (or maybe Persian)
period, a group of Sidonians settled at Maresha. This beautifully decorated
tomb was used by Apollophanes, the head of the Sidonian settlement for 33
years. It was in use from the 3rd to the 1st centuries B.C. The end of the
cave is shaped like a bed and was the resting-place of the Sidonian
patriarch. Numerous other burial niches were carved on either side of the
chamber.
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Related Websites |
Beth Guvrin (CTSP) After a brief introduction to the site, this
webpage lists a history of the site's excavation and a history of its
occupation based on historical and archaeological sources.
Maresha Dig Background An informative article by Prof. Amos Kloner
describing the history and various features of Tell Sandahannah/Maresha.
This website also contains a database of Persian figurines found at
Maresha
here.
Bet Guvrin (The Jewish Magazine) A good discussion of Bet Guvrin's
history and a detailed description of the caves.
Bet Guvrin (Institute of Archaeology, Bar Ilan University) A
presentation of some of the discoveries at Bet Guvrin, focusing mostly
on the amphitheater. Includes a few photos of the site.
Bet Guvrin (ShemeshDirectory.co.il) A detailed description of the
site's caves written by a licensed tour guide.
Maresha (The Columbia Encyclopedia Sixth Edition, 2001) An
extremely brief encyclopedia article on the site.
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