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PELLA (Ancient city) JORDAN
A city of Palestine, east of the Jordan, in Peraea. It was the place of refuge of the Christians who fled from Jerusalem before its capture by the Romans.
Town on the S slopes of the Gilead ca. 12.8 km SE of Scythopolis (Beisan).
It is known from early Egyptian historical texts as Pehal, and evidence indicates
that it was also settled in the Iron Age. Veterans of Alexander the Great's army
founded the Greek settlement, naming it for the birthplace of Alexander in Macedonia.
Polybios (5.70) mentions it among the cities conquered in 218 B.C. by Antiochos
the Great, and during the Hellenistic period Pella was known as a center of Greek
culture. Alexander Jannaeus conquered it after several futile attempts in 80 B.C.,
and the inhabitants who refused to convert to Judaism left the city (Joseph. AJ
13.397). Pompey conquered Pella, then freed it and made it part of the Decapolis
(AJ 14.75). Gabinius, the procurator of Syria, rebuilt it, and Pliny (HN 5.16.70)
mentions its famous spring. The city was destroyed in the war against the Romans
in A.D. 66. In the late Roman and Byzantine periods, however, it was an important
Christian center.
There are remains of the Israelite, Hellenistic, and early Roman periods,
and four churches of the Byzantine era.
A. Negev, ed.
This text is from: The Princeton encyclopedia of classical sites,
Princeton University Press 1976. Cited Nov 2002 from
Perseus Project URL below, which contains 64 image(s), bibliography & interesting hyperlinks.
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