Raphana

Raphana (Ραφάνα in

Raphana was sought for the last two millennia, after no one could identify this ancient settlement, as it was mostly omitted from maps or in scientific literature.

Some connected it with Raphon of the Macabbees. Some other looked for a substitution and chose the site of Abila at the northern Jordanian valley of Wadi Queilbeh, because of Abila's important history and its attested connection to the Decapolis region. But, there is no archaeological evidence that Abila has ever had any other ancient name than Abila dekapoleos, Abila Seleukia or also Abila viniferos (mentioned by Eusebius in his Onomastikon (Abila), 12 miles east of Gadara).

Raphana itself was unidentified. Recent research has found a plausible position for Raphana at the northeastern-edge of the Decapolis region. This fits also to the history of Flavius Josephus, who describes the forts around a place called Raepta, which is very plausibly the predecessor settlement of Raphana. For the mentioned connection see also the Pleiades Database for "Raphana" at stoa.org. In some online sites you can read that Raphana was at the "Abilene plain" and some mixed this name again with Abila at Wadi Queilbeh south of the

For a time the city seems to have been the base camp of the 12th Roman legion, Legio XII Fulminata, as well as of Legio III Gallica.

References

Media related to Raphana at Wikimedia Commons

• Decapolis tour reference

33°17′20″N 36°46′12″E / 33.28889°N 36.77000°E / 33.28889; 36.77000

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