Roman period Tiberias

the roman-byzantine southern city gate



remains of crusader fortress gate ancient lintel in secondary use

there no direct indication tiberias, rest of galilee, took part in bar kokhba revolt of 132–136 ce, allowing exist, despite heavy economic decline due war. following expulsion of jews judea after 135 ce, tiberias , neighbor sepphoris (hebrew name: tzippori) became major jewish cultural centres, competing within jewish world status , recognition babylon, alexandria, aleppo , persian empire.

in 145 ce, rabbi simeon bar yochai, familiar galilee, hiding there on decade, cleansed city of ritual impurity , allowing jewish leadership resettle there judea province, fugitives. sanhedrin, jewish court, fled jerusalem during great jewish revolt against rome, , after several attempted moves, in search of stability, settled in tiberias in 150 ce. final meeting place before disbanding in byzantine period. when johanan bar nappaha (d. 279) settled in tiberias, city became focus of jewish religious scholarship in land. mishnah, collected theological discussions of generations of rabbis in land of israel – in academies of tiberias , caesarea – compiled in tiberias rabbi judah hanasi around 200 ce. jerusalem talmud follow being compiled rabbi jochanan between 230–270 ce. tiberias 13 synagogues served spiritual needs of growing jewish population.