Sepphoris

Sepphoris ( sef-OR-iss; Ancient Greek: Σεπφωρίς, romanized: Sepphōris), known in Hebrew as Tzipori (צִפּוֹרִי Ṣīppōrī) and in Arabic as Saffuriya (صفورية Ṣaffūriya), is one of the most excavated and studied archaeological sites in Israel. Over time, the site was home to many civilizations. It was a Jewish city during classical antiquity, and was the epicenter of second century Jewish life. In the modern era it was the Palestinian town of Saffuriya, which was the second largest in the Nazareth Subdistrict after Nazareth itself. Sepphoris is located in central Galilee, 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north-northwest of Nazareth. It lies 286 meters (938 ft) above sea level and overlooks the Beit Netofa Valley. The site holds a rich and diverse historical and architectural legacy that includes remains from the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, early Islamic, Crusader, Mamluk and Ottoman periods. Sepphoris was a significant town in ancient Galilee. Originally named for the Hebrew word for bird, the city was also known as Eirenopolis and Diocaesarea during different periods of its history. In the first century CE, it was a Jewish city, the home of the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish court. Following the Bar Kokhba Revolt of 132–135, Sepphoris was one of the Galilean centers where rabbinical families from neighboring Judea relocated. In late antiquity, Sepphoris appears to have been predominantly Jewish, serving as a spiritual and cultural center, though it also housed a Christian bishopric and maintained a multi-ethnic population. Remains of a synagogue dated to the first half of the fifth century were discovered on the northern side of town. Since late antiquity, Sepphoris was believed to be the birthplace of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the original village where Saints Anna and Joachim are often said to have resided, where today a fifth-century basilica is excavated at the site honouring the...