THE CITY THAT RESTS ON A TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN LIKE A BIRD
Zippori or Sepphoris is a settlement that existed as early as the Iron Age. The later ancient city of Zippori was founded in the 4th century BC during the Hellenistic period and is located in the Central Northern Galilee region five kilometers northwest of Nazareth on a hilltop. Many cultures have found their way here and have left their traces over the past centuries.
The city always had a mixed population and flourished as a trade and transport hub. Zippori was even destroyed after an earthquake in 363 BC, but soon rebuilt. At the beginning of the 3rd century BC, it was so important that it became the center of Jewish religious and spiritual life. From the Hasmonean period of the 5th century until the 10th century AC, it was mainly Jews that lived in the area, making it particularly important in the context of Jewish history.
The Sanhedrin, the highest religious and judicial organ of the Jews, was located here at the time. Although archaeologists have only excavated one Synagoge, a total of 18 are believed to be buried underground. This is important for Jewish scholars because many Talmudic writers lived here. In the 1st century BC the city fell under Roman rule and became the administrative capital of Galilee. The town nearest Nazareth during the time of Jesus, today is a national park. Thanks to numerous excavations since the 1980s, large parts of Zippori have been excavated and we can admire the architectural legacies of the Hellenistic, Jewish, Roman, Byzantine, Arab and Ottoman cultures.
Mosaic at Sepphoris Zippori National Park in Central Galilee Israel
While clearly a lot more remains to be excavated, most of the lower part of the city and some of the upper buildings have been uncovered and are visible. Wonderful floor mosaics came to light and bear witness to past flourishing epochs and the change Zippori has undergone over the centuries. Today, we can walk through the well-structured Roman city, visit the beautiful basilica-like synagogue, and admire beautiful mosaic floors from the Byzantine period. The Dionysus House, a Roman villa with a well-preserved mosaic floor which describes scenes from the life of Dionysus, the God of Wine in Greek mythology and the mosaic of the “Mona Lisa of the Galilee”.
An extensive cistern system which stored water from a Nazarene spring 13 km away. A Roman theater, two early Christian churches, a Crusader fort, a Jewish residential area and ritual baths can also be seen. The hilltop location is surrounded with countless hundred-year-old olive trees, some of which are said to be more than a thousand years old. In the Greek times the place was very famous for its olive trees and its reputation was widespread. During the Roman Empire, the area continued to flourish and became a very prosperous city. Zippori was a place for the cultivation of olives, pomegranates and cereals of great importance.
The earliest evidence of olive oil use in Israel, and possibly throughout the Mediterranean, was found in an ancient site in the Lower Galilee. Remains of 8,000-year-old olive oil were uncovered in the lower Galilee at En Zippori during an Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) excavation. Dr. Ianir Milevski and Nimrod Getzov led an archaeological recovery dig in 2011 – 2013 which indicated that olive oil was used here as early as 8,000 years ago.*
Trees and rubble at Sepphoris Zippori National Park in Central Galilee Israel
The earliest evidence of olive oil use in Israel, and possibly throughout the Mediterranean, was found in an ancient site in the Lower Galilee. Remains of 8,000-year-old olive oil were uncovered in the lower Galilee at En Zippori during an Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) excavation. Dr. Ianir Milevski and Nimrod Getzov led an archaeological recovery dig in 2011 – 2013 which indicated that olive oil was used here as early as 8,000 years ago.*
*Olive oil storage during the fifth and sixth millennia BC at Ein Zippori, Northern Israel. Journal article : Israel Journal of Plant Sciences 2015 Vol.62 No.1/2 pp.65-74 ref.40
