Gaza Complete

Description

Archaeological work conducted in Gaza since the early twentieth century has revealed substantial vestiges of earlier settlement, among them city fortifications and a synagogue constructed above an industrial installation. These remains attest to occupation spanning the Roman through medieval periods. Gaza achieved its greatest prosperity under Roman administration, when it was noted for a distinguished rhetorical school and for monumental sanctuaries. Foremost among these was a temple dedicated to Marnas, the city’s principal god of Cretan origin, whose cult endured until the fifth century. The urban prominence continued into the early Byzantine era, which saw the construction of numerous churches, including two regarded as preeminent: the church of Eudoxia and the church of Saint Sergius. The site lies on the coast in the northeastern sector of modern Gaza, approximately 5 km from the archaeological locality known as Tall Harube. Further reading: Ovadia, A. 1969. “Excavations in the Area of the Ancient Synagogue at Gaza,” Israel Exploration Journal 19, 193–198. Ovadiah, A. 1993. “Gaza,” in The New Encyclopedia of Archeological Excavations in the Holy Land, 465–467.