Sepphoris
Sepphoris, or Zippori, is located in the lower Galilee, halfway between the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Galilee. The historian Josephus described it as “the ornament of all Galilee” and it was the administrative capital of the Galilee in the 1st century. It features an impressive archeology site dating back to the Hasmoneans who settled there in the 2nd century BC, as well as subsequent Byzantine, Arab and Crusader ruins. Sepphoris is most famous for its Byzantine mosaics, including a woman’s face known as the ‘Mona Lisa of the Galilee’ and a well-preserved zodiac featuring Greek deities on the synagogue floor. Sepphoris was also a center of Jewish life in the 2nd century. The Sanhedrin convened there for a time and it was the birthplace of the Mishnah, the first written codification of Jewish oral law.Links:
- Bible Walks: http://www.biblewalks.com/sites/Sepphoris.html
- Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zippori
- PBS special about relevance to Jesus’ life: http://www.pbs.org/