New Findings from the Acrabat Toparchy and the Northern Border of Judea before and after the Great Revolt

Abstract

The toparchy of Acrabat occupied the border between Judea and Samaria during much of the Roman and Byzantine periods. During the late Second Temple period, it was the northernmost administrative district of Judea. The decades of 70–136 CE, which encompass the interbellum period and the Bar Kokhba Revolt, remain opaque. Until recently, the region’s ethnic composition, in general, and the existence of Jewish communities, in particular, was obscure. This study presents and analyzes new data from recent excavations and surveys in the toparchy’s territory. We draw two conclusions: (1) A Jewish population resided in the region during the interbellum period and participated in the Bar Kokhba Revolt, and (2) the northern border of the Bar Kokhba administration was roughly the same as the northern border of Judea in the late Second Temple period. These conclusions indicate that the Jewish territory during the Second Jewish Revolt extended further north than was previously thought.