Abila of the Decapolis

This summer, join the excavation of Abila in northern Jordan, one of the famous Decapolis cities of the Greco-Roman Near East. Well attested in Biblical and historical literature, the Decapolis was a league of ten or more cities established in the last few centuries B.C. throughout the region southeast of the Sea of Galilee, mostly in modern-day Jordan. The people of these cities were renowned for their strong attachment to traditional Hellenistic life and culture and, even today, one can still spot the remarkable vestiges of typical Greco-Roman architecture.

The site of Abila is no exception. Excavations at the site, which have been ongoing since the early 1980s under the auspices of the Covenant Theological Seminary of St. Louis, Missouri, and the Department of Antiquities of Jordan, have brought to light all the trappings of an urbanized, heavily populated Classical city of the Near East. Surveys and excavations have revealed Roman theaters, a typical cardo maximus or colonnaded main street, colorful mosaics and an impressive series of subterranean water tunnels. Abila continued to be occupied well into Late Antiquity, and excavations have revealed five large Christian basilicas from this period.

As the excavators dug deeper into the site, they also found that Abila was occupied for several millennia before it was named a Decapolis city, especially during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Excavations this season, directed by Dr. David Chapman, will focus on some of these earlier levels, found mostly in the northern part of the site. In addition, participants will help excavate the perimeter wall of two of the site’s Byzantine churches and also take part in the GPS survey of the site.

Volunteers will be housed in a school in a nearby village. The school has running water, toilets and showers and the dig will provide mattresses.