Monday, September 21, 2009

A FIRST-CENTURY C.E. AMPHITHEATER has been excavated near Tiberias:
The late Professor Izhar Hirschfeld and Yossi Stepansky, the archaeologists heading the excavation, initially stated the structure was from the 2nd or 3rd century C.E., but later quickly realized that they go all the way back to the beginning of the 1st century C.E., closer to the founding of Tiberias.

"The most interesting thing about the amphitheater is its Jewish context," said Hirshfeld at the time of the initial discovery. "Unlike Tzipori, which was a multicultural city, Tiberias was a Jewish city under Roman rule. The findings demonstrate the city's pluralistic nature and cultural openness, something uncommon in those days."