Tiberiades (Tiberias)

TIBERIADES (Tiberias), ancient Galilea / Palestina, modern Israel.

COORDINATES: 32º46’25.48 N // 35323899 E

TIPOLOGY : Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: First I A.D.

TRANSFORMATIONS: II and IV A.D.

CAPACITY: 6.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing north-west. 78 m. diameter. Maenianum: Probably had three maeniana. Four rows survives in ima cavea but there are remians of at least  another three. It is very surprising the colour of the rows, forming a checkboard of limestome and basalt.

ORCHESTRA: 20 m. diameter.

STAGE BUILDING: 6 x 30 m.

LOCATION: North of cardo, south-east of ancient Tiberiades.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Murphy-O’Connor; The Holy Land: An Oxford Archeological Guide from earliest times to 1700”. Oxford University Press, 2007. //Walid Atrash: http://www.hadashot-esi.org.il/report_detail_eng.asp?id=1381&mag_id=117

OUT OF PRINT: On Monday I had the luck of visiting ancient Tiberias theatre, Walid Athrash and Avner Hillman the archaeologist who has conducted the excavations kindly invited me. Avner showed me with all details and explained me the excavations, showing at any time a big passion and love in the work he is doing; it was marvellous for me listen to him all the explains about the history of the theatre, how the earthquakes had affected the structure by two times, from where it came the basalt stone of the place. Listening him I felt  he and Walid and all the people was working in the theatre were like sculptors who are working in the air, cleaning of impurities an idea of beauty, returning to life the lifeless skeleton of history, returning back to the theatre, sixteen centuries after, a big silence applause. Thanks Avner an Walid for your generosity, thanks for sharing your passion.