Tiberias Byzantine Early Arab Rule
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| Hebrew: | |
|---|---|
| טבריה בתקופת הביזנטית | |
| Pronunciation: | |
| Bee-zan-tine | |
| Other Names | |
| Sixth and seventh century in Tiberias | |
| Description: | |
| Jewish life in Tiberias underwent many changes during the Byzantine and early Arab era |
Christian influence was increasing in the Land of Israel with the introduction of Byzantine rule but the Jews of Tiberias continued to live and worship until the 7th century Persian invasion.
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[edit] Religious Life of Tiberias
[edit] Jewish
During the 5th through the 8th centuries A.D. the Jews of Tiberias maintained an autonomous community. The Hammat Tiberias Synagogue, built south of Tiberias near the Hammat hot springs, is dated to this era as is the Beit Yerah synagogue located near the northern tip of the Jordan Valley, south of Tiberias. Both structures are now archaeological sites where visitors can see mosaics attesting to the structures’ Jewish history.
[edit] Christian
Early Christians had already established a community in Tiberias in the 4th century and soon afterward began to build churches, monasteries and other Christian shrines. A 2007 archaeological excavation in the heart of Tiberias has uncovered a 4th century Byzantine church with depictions of crosses on the floor -- built well before the 427 A.D. edict which prohibited Churches from laying images of crosses on the floors of a church.
[edit] Samaritans
The Samaritans, a community which broke off from normative Judaism after the 5th century B.C.E. Babylonian Exile, maintained a community in and around Tiberias. The Samaritan leader Baba Rabban build a number of synagogues in the region, including one in Tiberias, one in Beit Alpha and two in nearby Beit Shean. These synagogues show pagan symbols alongside a Torah Shrine. Some structures display Samaritan inscriptions alongside seven branched menorahs -- images which were prohibited by the rabbis who saw such symbols as imitations of those in the Jerusalem Temple.
[edit] End of Byzantine Rule
The Byzantine era saw the fortunes of the residents of Tiberias ebb and flow, depending on the whims of each Byzantine emperor. As the years passed Christian sentiments against the Jews increased and the Byzantine rule became harsher. With the financial encouragement and military leadership of wealthy Tiberias resident Benjamin of Tiberias, the Jews supported the 614 A.D. Persian invasion of the Land of Israel. The Byzantines successfully suppressed the revolt in 628 A.D. and slaughtered many Tiberias Jews in revenge. The Byzantines were, themselves, defeated by the Umayyads under the leadership of Shurabil b. Hasanah who introduced Arab rule to the region in 636 A.D.
[edit] Arab Rule
The fortunes of Tiberias’s Jews improved during the 7th and 8th centuries under Arab rule. The Jewish Academy -- Yeshivah -- continued to function and attracted students from all over Israel and even from outside of Israel. Jews were allowed to repair and rebuild their synagogues and houses of study. Historians point to the literature, poetry and religious writings that originated in Tiberias of the era.
The Jewish population of Tiberias declined when Omar b. al-Khattab, the second caliph, allowed 70 Jewish families to move to Jerusalem and re-establish a Jewish presence there. However, Tiberias retained a small Jewish community throughout the rule of the Umayyad dynasty. Tiberias was revitalized as a Jewish community after Beit Shean was destroyed in the 749 A.D. earthquake.