Jamnith
{{Short description|Ruin in the Upper Galilee}}
{{Distinguish|Yavne|Yibna}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Jamnith
| alt_name = Jabnith; Jamnia; Kh. Banit
| iucn_category =
| photo = File:Mount Canaan iv.jpg
| photo_alt =
| photo_caption = Photo of Safed taken in 1948 from atop Mount Canaan (near Kh. Banit)
| photo_width =
| map =
| map_alt =
| map_caption =
| map_width =
| location =
| nearest_city = Safed
| coords = {{coord|32|59|29|N|35|31|01|E|display=inline,title}}
| coords_ref =
| area =
| established = Hellenistic period (?)
| visitation_num =
| visitation_year =
| governing_body =
| world_heritage_site =
| url =
}}
Jamnith ({{langx|el|Ἰαμνειθ}}), also Jabnith, Yavnit ({{langx|he|יבנית}}), Iamnia, or in medieval parlance, Ibnit / Abnit / Ovnit, is a ruin in the Upper Galilee that came to renown during the First Jewish Revolt in the 1st-century CE. The ruin, known locally by the name Khurbet esh-Sheikh Banit, or simply Kh. Banît, lies about {{convert|3.4|km}} to the northeast of Safed, in the Biriya Forest, and was once a fortified town towards the northeast of Mount Canaan (Hebrew: Har Kena'an), upon a hill called Har Yavnit.{{cite book|last=Vilnai|first=Ze'ev |author-link=Ze'ev Vilnai|title=Ariel: Encyclopedia le-Yedi'at Ha-Aretz |publisher='Am 'Oved|year=1978|location=Tel-Aviv|volume=8-10 |page=2690|language=he|oclc=14912218}} The hill on which the village ruins lie rises {{convert|836|m|ft|}} above sea level and overlooks the Hula valley. Access to the ruin is now restricted because of an enclosed military installation built over the site.
The village is mentioned twice in the writings of Josephus as being in the Upper Galilee; once in The Jewish War (2.20.6) under the appellation Ἰαμνειθ, and again in Vita §37 under the name Ίαμνια, and is distinguished from the Jamnia of Judaea. Josephus testifies of himself that he assisted in building the wall of the village,Josephus, The Jewish War 2.20.6 (2.572, 576); idem, Vita 188 (s. 37) the reference perhaps being to funding its building project. The hilltop fortress has no natural spring, suggesting that its inhabitants relied upon rock-cut cisterns for water, of which several can be found on the site.
The fate of the town's defenders is not known, but they are presumed to have surrendered after the fall of Tarichaea.Josephus, The Jewish War, [https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0148%3Abook%3D4%3Asection%3D1 iv.1.] "After the fall of Jotapata some of the Galilaeans had remained in revolt against Rome; but when Tarichaea was overthrown they surrendered, and the Romans took over all the fortresses and towns except Gischala and the garrison of Mt Tabor."
Victor Guérin visited the site in the late 19th-century and found on the plateau of the elevated hill, which he called Kharbet Benit, what he described as "a village, now overthrown from top to bottom, and of which there are only many piles of stones from demolished houses."{{sfn|Guérin|1880|p=[https://archive.org/details/descriptiongogr00gugoog/page/439/mode/1up 439]}} Earlier, in 1838, the site was visited by Edward Robinson, who wrote, "here (Benit) are the slight remains of a former village, situated directly on the brow of the mountains enclosing the Huleh, and commanding a splendid view over the whole basin and the surrounding region."Robinson, E.; Smith, E. (1856), p. 434; cf. pp. 439, 449-450, 575
Michael Avi-Yonah thought that the priestly course known as Bilgah had its place of residence in Yavnit.{{cite journal |last=Avi-Yonah |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Avi-Yonah |title= The Caesarea Inscription of the Twenty-Four Priestly Courses |journal= Eretz-Israel: Archaeological, Historical and Geographical Studies |volume= L.A. Mayer Memorial Volume (1895–1959) |page=25 |language=he |jstor= 23614642 |date=1964}}; on this priestly ward, see Mishnah Sukkah 5:8, Tosefta Sukkah 4:28, and {{bibleverse|1 Chronicles|24:14|HE}}
Identification
While most modern historical geographers are unanimous as to Jamnith's identification with the ruin Kh. Banit,{{sfn|Avi-Yonah|1976|p=67}}{{sfn|Aviam|2004|p=93 (chapter 9)}}{{sfn|Har-el|1972|pp=123-130}}{{sfn|Bar-Kochva|1974|p=109 (map)}}{{sfn|Conder|Kitchener|1881|p=[https://archive.org/details/surveyofwesternp01conduoft/page/206/mode/1up 206]}}{{sfn|Thomsen|1966|p=}}{{sfn|Klein|1939|p=163}} Edward Robinson and Eli Smith who surveyed the ancient sites of Palestine were uncertain of its location.{{sfn|Robinson|Smith|2015|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=bdjeBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA74 74]}} Neubauer thought that the site of Jamnia in Galilee may have been identical with Yabneel of the Hebrew Bible ({{bibleverse|Joshua|19:33|HE}}), a place later known as Kefar Yammah.{{sfn|Neubauer|1868|p=225}} However, this last site is not in the Upper Galilee.
Jamnia, known as Ibnit, had been resettled by local Arabs as late as 1948.{{cite book |author-last=Yitzhaki |author-first=Arieh |author-link=:he:אריה יצחקי |contribution=Ḥurvat Yavnit |title=Israel Guide - Upper Galilee, Huleh Basin and Jordan Source Region (A useful encyclopedia for the knowledge of the country)|volume=2 |publisher=Keter Publishing House, in affiliation with the Israel Ministry of Defence |location=Jerusalem|year=1978|pages=138–139 |language=he|oclc=745203905 }}
Rabbinic burial ground
Jewish tradition holds that Talmudic scholars Abaye and Rava are buried in a cave shown on Har Yavnit (Ovnit).[http://www.zissil.com/topics/Abaye Zissil: Encyclopedia of Kivrei Tzadikim]. This view, however, is disputed, as another source puts the burial site of Abaye and Rava in Banias, about which, see: Levi-Naḥum, Yehuda (1986), p. 248, s.v. בעאם (sic); should be corrected to read בניאס. R. Yudan Nesi'ah,Identity uncertain, although thought to be referring to Judah III. Cf. Vatican Ms. of the Jerusalem Talmud, Seder Zera'im ([https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.ebr.133 Vat. ebr. 133], folio 31v), where Judah II, the grandson of Rabbi Judah HaNasi, is also called R. Yudan Nesi'ah. upon whom was conferred the title of nasi, is also said to have been buried on the mountain,Levi-Naḥum, Yehuda (1986), p. 252, chapter: Tombs of the forefathers and righteous [3], s.v. באבנית along with his two sons. Visitors may access the burial sites as they lie outside the restricted area. The mountain affords a good prospect of the Hula valley on its east and southeastern side, including the town of Rosh Pina and the northern part of the Sea of Galilee.
Gallery
File:Har Yavnit seen from the east side.jpg|View of Har Yavnit from east
File:Old foot path strewn with broken shards leading from Jamnith ruin.jpg|Old footpath leading up to Jamnith (Kh. Banit)
File:Entrance to alleged burial cave of Abayye and Rava.jpg|Alleged burial cave of Abaye and Rava
File:Rava and Abayye.jpg|Stone inscription at alleged burial site of Abaye and Rava
File:Observation point on Har Yavnit.jpg|Visitors' observation point on Har Yavnit
File:Shrine built for R. Yudan Nesiah.jpg|Shrine built as memorial to R. Yudan Nesiah, Har Yavnit
File:Modern structure made from reused stones found at Jamnith.jpg|Modern stone structure at Har Yavnit, made from reused stones found at Kh. Banit
File:General view from road ascending Har Yavnit.jpg|View from Har Yavnit, looking north
References
{{reflist}}
Bibliography
{{ref begin}}
- {{cite book |last=Aviam|first=Mordechai |title=Jews, Pagans and Christians in the Galilee (Land of Galilee 1)|publisher=University of Rochester Press|date=2004 |location=Rochester|language=en |isbn=1-58046-171-9 }}
- {{cite journal |last=Avi-Yonah |first=M. |author-link=Michael Avi-Yonah|title=Gazetteer of Roman Palestine|journal=Qedem |volume=5 |pages=3–112 |publisher=Institute of Archaeology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem |jstor=43587090 |date=1976 }}
- {{cite journal |last=Bar-Kochva|first=Bezalel |title=Notes on the Fortresses of Josephus in Galilee |journal=Israel Exploration Journal|volume=24|issue=2|publisher=Israel Exploration Society|location=Jerusalem|jstor=27925451 |year=1974|pages=108–116 }}
- {{cite book|last1=Conder|first1=C.R.|author-link1=Claude Reignier Conder|last2=Kitchener|first2=H.H.|author-link2=Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl Kitchener|year=1881|url=https://archive.org/details/surveyofwesternp01conduoft/page/n7|title=The Survey of Western Palestine: Memoirs of the Topography, Orography, Hydrography, and Archaeology|location=London|publisher=Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund|volume=1}}
- {{cite book|last=Guérin|first=V.|author-link=Victor Guérin|title=Description Géographique Historique et Archéologique de la Palestine|url=https://archive.org/details/descriptiongogr00gugoog/page/n9|volume=2: Galilée, pt. 3|year=1880|publisher= L'Imprimerie Nationale|location=Paris|language=fr}}
- {{cite journal |last=Har-el |first=M. |title=The Zealots' Fortresses in Galilee |journal=Israel Exploration Journal|volume=22 |issue=2/3 |pages=123–130|date=1972|jstor=27925338 |language=en}}
- {{cite book|title=Sefer Ha-Yishuv |first=S.|last=Klein|author-link=Samuel Klein (scholar)|location=Jerusalem|volume=1 |publisher=Bialik Institute / Devir Publishers |year=1939 |language=he |oclc=18115508 }}
- {{cite book|last=Levi-Naḥum|first=Yehuda |title=Sefer ṣohar le-ḥasifat ginzei teiman |publisher=Mifʻal ḥaśifat ginze Teman|year=1986|location=Ḥolon, Israel |language=he|oclc=15417732}}
- {{cite book|title=Géographie du Talmud |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_DIgYKxhNNL8C|first=A.|last=Neubauer|author-link=Adolf Neubauer|location=Paris|publisher=Michel Lévy Frères |year=1868|language=fr}}
- {{cite book |author-first1=E.|author-last1=Robinson |author1-link=Edward Robinson (scholar) |author-first2=E. |author-last2=Smith |author-link2=Eli Smith |title=Biblical Researches in Palestine, and in the Adjacent Regions (A Journal of the Travels in the Year 1838) |volume=2 |publisher=Crocker & Brewster |location=Boston and London |year=1856|language=en |title-link=Biblical Researches in Palestine |oclc=640235350}}
- {{cite book|last1=Robinson|first1=E.|author-link1=Edward Robinson (scholar)|last2=Smith |first2=Eli |author-link2=Eli Smith|title=Biblical Researches in Palestine and the Adjacent Regions - A Journal of Travels in the Years 1838 and 1852|volume=3 |year=2015|publisher=Cambridge University Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bdjeBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA74 |isbn=978-1-108-07990-7 |language=en}}
- {{cite book |last=Thomsen|first=Peter |title=Loca Sancta|date=1966|publisher=Olms|location=Hildesheim}} (first printed in Leipzig 1907)
{{refend}}
External links
- Survey of Western Palestine, Map 4: [http://www.iaa-archives.org.il/zoom/zoom.aspx?folder_id=93&type_id=6&id=8367 IAA], [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Survey_of_Western_Palestine_1880.04.jpg Wikimedia commons]
{{Authority control}}
{{Towns depopulated during the First Jewish–Roman War}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jamnith}}
Category:Archaeological sites in Israel
Category:First Jewish–Roman War
Category:Ancient Jewish settlements of Galilee
Category:Former populated places in Israel