Jews, Pagans, and Christians in the Golan Heights : Greek and Other Inscriptions of the Roman and Byzantine Eras

This work publishes a diverse collection of inscriptions that were found on stones (epitaphs, altars, door lintels, dedications), statues and architectural remains from the ancient Golan Heights (1st-7th centuries, CE). Of the 258 inscriptions included, interpreted, and analyzed, 241 are Greek ( 207 of which are published here for the first time), 13 are either Hebrew or Aramaic, and one is Latin (also published here for the first time).

This work publishes a diverse collection of inscriptions that were found on stones (epitaphs, altars, door lintels, dedications), statues and architectural remains from the ancient Golan Heights (1st-7th centuries, CE). Of the 258 inscriptions included, interpreted, and analyzed, 241 are Greek ( 207 of which are published here for the first time), 13 are either Hebrew or Aramaic, and one is Latin (also published here for the first time). Taken together, these inscriptions provide a window on the communities of Jews, Pagans, and Christians in this distinctly rural region of the eastern Roman empire. The new evidence presented in this volume changes the accepted picture of the settlement patterns and interactions of these religious and ethnic groups in the Golan, while adding historical data about Jews and their synagogues, the character of polytheist loyalties, and the emergence of Christians in the region. The volume contains several hundred photographs, a number of maps and diagrams depicting the area, a bibliography, and numerous indexes. Inscriptions are arranged according to the town or village in the Golan in which they originated.