Historical identification Emmaus

1 historical identification

1.1 emmaus-nicopolis/imwas
1.2 al-qubeiba/castellum emmaus/chubebe/qubaibat
1.3 abu-ghosh/kiryat anavim
1.4 emmaus/colonia/motza/ammassa/ammaous/beit mizzeh

historical identification

many sites have been suggested biblical emmaus, among them emmaus nicopolis (c. 160 stadia jerusalem), kiryat anavim (66 stadia jerusalem on carriage road jaffa), coloniya (c. 36 stadia on carriage road jaffa), el-kubeibeh (63 stadia, on roman road lydda), artas (60 stadia jerusalem) , khurbet al-khamasa (86 stadia on roman road eleutheropolis). oldest identification known emmaus nicopolis.

emmaus-nicopolis/imwas

the first modern site identification of emmaus explorer edward robinson, equated palestinian arab village of imwas (arabic: عِمواس‎), near latrun monastery. before destruction in 1967, village of imwas located @ end of ayalon valley, on border of hill country of judah, @ 153 stadia (18.6 miles) jerusalem via kiryat yearim ridge route, 161 stadia (19.6 miles) via beth-horon ridge route , 1,600 feet (490 m) lower elevation.

eusebius first mention nicopolis biblical emmaus in onomasticon. jerome, translated eusebius’ book, implied in letter 108 there church in nicopolis built in house of cleopas jesus broke bread on late journey. 4th century on, site commonly identified biblical emmaus.

archaeologically, many remains have been excavated @ site of former palestinian village, located inside canada park, support historical , traditional claims. 5 structures found , dated, including christian basilica 6th century , 12th-century crusader church. emmaus nicopolis titular see of roman catholic church.

there several sources giving information town s ancient history, among them first book of maccabees, works of josephus, , chronicles late roman, byzantine , muslim periods. according 1 maccabees 3:55-4:22, around 166 bc judas maccabeus fought against seleucids in region of particular emmaus, , victorious @ battle of emmaus; later, town fortified bacchides, seleucid general (1 macc 9:50). when rome took on land became capital of district or toparchy, , burnt order of varus after death of herod in 4 bc. during first jewish revolt, before siege of jerusalem, vespasian s 5th legion deployed there while 10th legion in jericho. town renamed emmaus nicopolis in ad 221 emperor elagabalus, conferred title of polis ( city ) following request of delegation emmaus. plague of emmaus in ad 639, mentioned in muslim sources, claimed have caused 25,000 deaths in town.

al-qubeiba/castellum emmaus/chubebe/qubaibat

another possibility village of al-qubeiba, west of nabi samwil on beit horon road northwest of jerusalem. town, meaning little domes in arabic, located @ 65 stadia jerusalem. roman fort subsequently named castellum emmaus (from latin root castra, meaning encampment) discovered @ site in 1099 crusaders. however, there no source roman, byzantine or muslim periods naming emmaus time of jesus.

in 12th century, crusaders of kingdom of jerusalem called site small mahomeria, in order distinguish large mahomeria near ramallah. sounding similar mahommed , term used in medieval times describe place inhabited or used prayer muslims. referred qubaibat first time @ end of same century writer abu shama, writes in book of 2 gardens muslim prince falling hands of crusaders @ spot. franciscans built church here in 1902, on ruins of crusader basilica. excavations in 1943 revealed artifacts hellenistic, roman, byzantine, , crusader periods.

abu-ghosh/kiryat anavim

abu ghosh located in middle of kiryat yearim ridge route between nicopolis , jerusalem, 9 miles (83 stadia) capital. former minorite convent gothic church turned stable. robinson dated crusader period , declared more preserved other ancient church in palestine. excavations carried out in 1944 supported identification fontenoid, site crusaders held while emmaus before accepting nicopolis real emmaus.

emmaus/colonia/motza/ammassa/ammaous/beit mizzeh

colonia, between abu ghosh , jerusalem on kiryat yearim ridge route, possibility. @ distance of c. 8 km jerusalem, referred motza in old testament (joshua 18:26). 1 mile north of modern motza ruin called beit mizzeh, identified biblical motza. listed among benjamite cities of joshua 18:26, referred in talmud place people come cut young willow branches part of celebration of sukkot (mishnah, sukkah 4.5: 178). motza identified emmaus of luke in 1881 william f. birch (1840-1916) of palestine exploration fund, , again in 1893 paulo savi.

excavations in 2001-2003 headed professor carsten peter thiede cut short sudden death in 2004. thiede strong proponent of motza real emmaus. offered latin amassa , greek ammaous derived biblical hebrew name motza: motza – ha-motza ( ha hebrew equivalent of definite article ) – ha-mosa – amosa – amaous – emmaus. excavation summaries removed website of basel college teaching at, book , @ least 1 article published on topic available. contended neither nicopolis, abu ghosh, or al-qubeiba can considered because first located far jerusalem, while 2 others not called emmaus @ time of jesus.

josephus flavius writes in antiquities of jews city called emmaus in context of maccabean revolt, corresponds large city later called emmaus nicopolis, located @ on 170 roman stadia jerusalem, while in jewish war brings emmaus, 60 roman stadia jerusalem, vespasian settled 800 roman legionnaires after first jewish revolt. ancient latin manuscripts use amassa , while medieval greek manuscripts use ammaous . newly created roman colonia made old name disappear: jewish works of 3rd-5th centuries, mishnah, babylonian , jerusalem talmud, talk qeloniya , aramaic distortion of colonia . name survived modern times in arabic qalunya . indeed village, not city emmaus nicopolis, , fits description luke (κωμη village ) better latter. difference in distance jerusalem between luke s , josephus emmaus, 60 vs. 30 stadia, still smaller 1 nicopolis, lays full 176 stadia down roman road jerusalem. thiede recalculated actual distance between jerusalem s western city gate @ time, , excavation site @ motza unearthed jewish village predated roman veterans colony, , came figure of 46 stadia. put squarely in middle between luke s , josephus stated distances, thiede considers approximation time. thiede s excavation produced jewish artifacts of time preceding fall of jerusalem in 70 ce, giving substance claim have found luke s emmaus, had settled jews. no other emmaus in vicinity of jerusalem, motza credible candidate.