Pella
Located in the Jordan valley, about 50 miles northwest of Amman, the city of Pella thrived in the Roman and Byzantine periods. Today, Pella’s archaeological site presents some fascinating finds from the Classical periods.
History and Archaeology of Pella
Nestling in fertile valley about 3 miles east of the Jordan river, humans inhabited Pella since prehistorical times. However, its hey days began in the first century, when Pella developed into a Roman city, andjoined a league of ten pagan cities – the Decapolis.
Pella, the Decapolis, and Jesus
Decapolis was a term used to describe a group of ten cities in the southern Levant that were culturally affiliated during the Roman period. These cities were all Greek and Roman culture centers and were well supported by the Romans. Some of these cities still exist, and some have become archaeological sites. Six of these cities are today in Jordan (Gerasa, Gadara, Pella, Amman, Capitolias, and Raphana). Two are in Syria (Damascus and Canatha), and two are in Israel (Beit-Shean and Hippos-Sussita).
Pella is not mentioned by name in the New Testament. Still, the Gospels do record Jesus visiting the Decapolis cities (e.g., Mark 7:31). Being so, it is possible that Jesus also visited Pella. Furthermore, according to 3rd-century CE historian Eusebius of Caesarea, Pella was the refuge for Christians who fled from Jerusalem during the Great Jewish Revolt (66-73 CE).
Pella continued to thrive through Byzantine but declined after the Muslim conquest in the 7th century CE. After the devastating earthquake in 749 CE, the city was finally abandoned.
Archaeological Research
During a regional survey, the German scholar identified Pella at Tabaqat Pehal in the late 19th century. Since 1978, an Australian expedition has been excavating at the site. In addition to the finds from the Classical periods, the Australian team also uncovered a Canaanite city dating to around 3400 BCE.
Touring Pella
Called also Tabaqat Pahl, Pella’s archaeological site is open every day of the week and has an admission fee.. Its main finds are from the Roman and Byzantine periods, which include a small theatre (Odeon), a bath and two churches. There is also an Islamic quarter with an Umayyad period mosque and courtyard.
A tour of Pella can be combined with a multi-day tour of Jordan.
