Rabba

Rabba lies on the historical King's Highway. It is situated on a thin{{clarify |reason= What is a "thin plain"? |date= September 2022}} semi-fertile plain, giving way to Wadi Ibn Hammad{{clarify |reason= What is a "Wadi Ibn Hammad"? The plain gives way to what? |date= September 2022}} in the west, and the desert in the east. Located near the northern edge of the town is the Farming College, a branch of Mu'tah University.

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|location = Rabba (1989–2018)

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|Jan high C = 12.4

|Feb high C = 13.7

|Mar high C = 17.5

|Apr high C = 22.7

|May high C = 27.1

|Jun high C = 30.2

|Jul high C = 31.8

|Aug high C = 32.0

|Sep high C = 30.3

|Oct high C = 27.1

|Nov high C = 21.0

|Dec high C = 15.7

|year high C = 23.7

|Jan low C = 3.3

|Feb low C = 3.7

|Mar low C = 5.9

|Apr low C = 8.8

|May low C = 12.5

|Jun low C = 15.4

|Jul low C = 17.7

|Aug low C = 17.8

|Sep low C = 15.9

|Oct low C = 13.4

|Nov low C = 9.0

|Dec low C = 5.1

|year low C = 10.7

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 90.9

|Feb precipitation mm = 78.3

|Mar precipitation mm = 46.3

|Apr precipitation mm = 15.7

|May precipitation mm = 5.6

|Jun precipitation mm = 0.0

|Jul precipitation mm = 0.0

|Aug precipitation mm = 0.0

|Sep precipitation mm = 0.1

|Oct precipitation mm = 8.7

|Nov precipitation mm = 24.3

|Dec precipitation mm = 53.7

|year precipitation mm = 323.7

| Jan humidity = 74.2

| Feb humidity = 70.4

| Mar humidity = 64.1

| Apr humidity = 52.5

| May humidity = 45.7

| Jun humidity = 46.9

| Jul humidity = 49.0

| Aug humidity = 53.0

| Sep humidity = 56.8

| Oct humidity = 57.5

| Nov humidity = 62.1

| Dec humidity = 69.6

| year humidity = 58.5

|source 1 = Jordan Meteorological Department{{Cite web |title=دائرة الأرصاد الجوية > معلومات مناخية وزراعية > المعدلات العامة |publisher=Jordan Meteorological Department |access-date=23 July 2024 |url=http://jometeo.gov.jo/%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%A9/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A9 |language=ar |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221154009/http://jometeo.gov.jo/معلومات-مناخية-وزراعية/المعدلات-العامة |archive-date=21 February 2024 |url-status=live}}

}}

File:Zayd ibn Ali.jpg Zayd ibn Ali, descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad]]

File:Jordan-17A-085.jpg of Diocletian and Maximian]]

Rabba was formerly known as Rabbath Moab. In the Hellenistic and Roman times it was called Areopolis, its Greek name. It was one of the two leading cities of the Karak Plateau at this time.

Areopolis is mentioned by Ptolemy,Claudius Ptolemy, Geographica 5.17.5-6. Eusebius,Eusebius, Onomasticon 10.17 who cited the terrifying nature of the place, HieroclesHierocles, Synecdemus 721.9 and Stephen of Byzantium,Stephen of Byzantium, Ethnica 156.3. SozomenSozomen, HE 7.15.{{clarify|reason= What does HE stand for? Dropped on user w/o explanation: useless.|date=September 2022}} and also the Notitia DignitatumNotitia Dignitatum Or 37.17. The town is shown on the Tabula Peutingeriana and the Madaba map and is attested to on numerous milestones. Areopolis also minted its own coin between 193 and 222 CE.

In the Byzantine period, Rabba was the site of a Jewish community numbered at 15,000 people, centered around a spectacular synagogue, then said to be comparable to Solomon's Temple. During the 5th century CE, Rabba was visited by a Mesopotamian monk named Barsauma, who during his pilgrimage to the region clashed with locals and forced them to convert to Christianity. According to ancient sources, after its doors miraculously opened, the synagogue was set on fire. Looting was forbidden by Barsauma's order, and the synagogue burned to the ground. It is unclear if local Jews had converted to Christianity.Sivan, Hagith (2008). Palestine in Late Antiquity. Oxford University Press. p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=-xY1qsioqd8C&pg=PA178 178]. {{ISBN|019160867X}}. Retrieved 2 Sep 2022.

In 1321 Abu'l-Fida noted: "Maab, or Ar Rabba lies in the Balka Province. According to the 10th-century Arab geographer al-Muhallabi,[https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/al-muhallabi-SIM_5327 "al-Muhallabī"]. Encyclopaedia of Islam, 2nd Edition, via referenceworks.brillonline.com. Retrieved 2 Sep 2022. this place and Adhruh are two towns in the Jabal Ash Sharah.{{clarify |reason=Maybe a link to Al-Sharat would be appropriate here? |date= September 2022}}} Maab was a very ancient town the relics of which have completely disappeared, and in its place is a village called Ar Rabbah. It is in the district of Al Karak, and lies about half a day's march from this to the north. Near Ar Rabbah is an extremely high hill, called Shaihan, which you see from afar."Le Strange, 1890, pp. [https://archive.org/stream/palestineundermo00lestuoft#page/494/mode/1up 494]−495

In 1596 it appeared in the Ottoman tax registers named as Kafr Rabba, situated in the nahiya (subdistrict) of Karak, part of the Sanjak of Ajlun. It had 16 Muslim and 3 Christian households. They paid a fixed tax-rate of 25% on agricultural products, including wheat, barley, summer crops, vineyards/fruit trees, goats and bee-hives; in addition to occasional revenues. The total tax was 12,000 akçe.Hütteroth and Abdulfattah, 1977, p. 171

In 1961 there were 1,073 inhabitants in Rabba,Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, p. [http://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/JordanCensusPages/JordanCensus1961-p21.pdf 21] of whom 200 were Christian.Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, pp. [http://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/JordanCensusPages/JordanCensus1961-pp115-116.pdf 115-116]

Rabba is home to Nabatean,{{dubious |Which are...? There is a Roman temple there and a Byz. church. What is Nabataean there? |date= September 2022}} Roman and Byzantine ruins, which are located along the main street in the center of town. They consist of the remains of a Roman temple dedicated to the emperors Diocletian and Maximian, a Byzantine church and a cavernous ancient reservoir. There are many smaller ruins scattered all over town albeit not as extensive.{{cn|date=December 2018}}

Rabba was traditionally populated largely by the Majali and Zureikat families, the first of which has considerable political influence in the country. However, since the establishment of Israel in 1948, many Palestinians, who left their homes in Palestine, settled in Rabba as well, now accounting for about a third of the town's population.{{cn|date=December 2018}}

The economy in Rabba is largely agrarian, and relies greatly on seasonal crops such as wheat and oats. Many people own sheep goats or cattle.{{cn|date=December 2018}}

Areopolis was important enough in the Late Roman province of Palestina Tertia to become a suffragan of its capital Petra's Metropolitan Archbishopric, but was to fade.

Known bishops include:

• Anasasius of Areopolis, Council of ChalcedonRichard Price, Michael Gaddis, [https://books.google.com/books?id=6IUaOOT1G3UC&q=+Areopolis&pg=RA2-PA157 The Acts of the Council of Chalcedon], Volume 1 (Liverpool University press, 2005)
• Rufinus of AreopolisBy W. M. Ramsay, [https://books.google.com/books?id=iWxqOM9vMWEC&q=Areopolis&pg=PA366 The Historical Geography of Asia Minor.](Cambridge University Press, 2010)Michel Le Quien, [Oriens christianus: in quatuor patriarchatus digestus](ex Typographia Regia, 1740) p892.[https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=la&u=https://books.google.com/books%3Fid%3Dm41EAAAAcAAJ%26pg%3DPA729%26lpg%3DPA729%26dq%3DRufinus%2Bof%2BAreopolis%26source%3Dbl%26ots%3DZPlJDkErbv%26sig%3DUDRVwsIyUjgqORZBc5htqD86LLg&prev=search Acts of the council, and the Epistle of the decretal, and the Constitutions of the Supreme]. at the Council of Ephesus
• Bishop of Areopolis who attended Synod of Jerusalem 518
• John, Bishop of Areopolis, known only from an inscription of about 590AD

In the 18th century, the diocese was nominally restored as a Latin Catholic titular bishopric Areopolis (Areopoli in Curiate Italian) and had the following incumbents of the fitting episcopal (lowest) rank.Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 {{ISBN|978-88-209-9070-1}}), p. 842 Bishops include:

• Pietro d’Alcántara della Santissima Trinità Gagna di Cherasco, OCD (1728.01.28 – 1744.11.03)
• João da Madre de Deus Seixas da Fonseca Borges, OSB (1733.09.28 – 1768.03.05)
• Florence of Jesus of Nazareth Szostak, OCD (1746.01.19 – 1773.07.26)
• :pl:Tomasz Ignacy Zienkowicz(1755.07.21 – 1790.12.09)
• William Wareing (1840.06.05 – 1850.09.29)
• :de:Anton Frenzel (1852.09.27 – 1873.04.03)
• Blessed Ciriaco María Sancha y Hervás (1876.01.28 – 1882.03.27) (later Cardinal*)
• Francesco Giordani (1882.07.03 – 1887.11.25)
• Gabriele Gzele (1888.06.01 – 1903)

In 1903 it was promoted as Titular archbishopric, and as such had the following incumbents of the fitting archiepiscopal (intermediary) rank :

• Titular Archbishop Henry Moeller (1903.04.27 – 1904.10.31)
• Titular Archbishop Lazare Miedia (1904.12.24 – 1909.04.14)
• Titular Archbishop :it:Paolo Emilio Bergamaschi (1910.07.26 – 1925.02.10)
• Titular Archbishop Saint Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli (1925.03.03 – 1934.11.30) (later Pope John XXIII*)

In March 1925 it was demoted back to titular bishopric. It is vacant since decades, having had the following incumbents of fitting episcopal rank :

• Michael Joseph Keyes, Marists (S.M.) (1935.09.23 – 1959.08.07)
• Leonardo Gregorio Gallardo Heredia (1960.02.13 – 1961.05.23)
• René-Noël-Joseph Kérautret (1961.07.22 – 1965.05.09)

{{Reflist|refs=

Samuel Thomas Parker, John Wilson Betlyon (2006). [https://books.google.com/books?id=PVZfx3Y6o5IC&pg=RA1-PA16 The Roman Frontier in Central Jordan: Final Report on the Limes Arabicus Project, 1980-1989, Volume 1] (Dumbarton Oaks).

}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{cite book

| title = First Census of Population and Housing. Volume I: Final Tables; General Characteristics of the Population | author = Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics | year = 1964|url=http://cs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/JordanCensus1961bits.pdf}}

• {{cite book

| last1= Hütteroth|first1=W.-D.|author-link1=Wolf-Dieter Hütteroth

|first2=K. | last2=Abdulfattah |author-link2=Kamal Abdulfattah

| title = Historical Geography of Palestine, Transjordan and Southern Syria in the Late 16th Century |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=wqULAAAAIAAJ | year = 1977 | publisher = Erlanger Geographische Arbeiten, Sonderband 5. Erlangen, Germany: Vorstand der Fränkischen Geographischen Gesellschaft|isbn= 3-920405-41-2}}

• {{cite book

|title=Palestine Under the Moslems: A Description of Syria and the Holy Land from A.D. 650 to 1500|url=https://archive.org/details/palestineundermo00lestuoft|first=G.|last= Le Strange|authorlink= Guy Le Strange|year=1890|publisher=Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund}}

{{refend}}

• [http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/former/t0190.htm GCatholic with titular incumbent bio links]
• [https://www.manar-al-athar.ox.ac.uk/pages/search.php?search=%21collection2973 Manar al-Athar Digital Archive - Rabba temple]

Category:Populated places in Karak Governorate

Category:Jews and Judaism in Jordan