Roman City Tiberias to rise from ruins

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Tiberias was founded in 20 C.E. and its Jewish community continued in existence until the 11th century. At its height, from the 3rd to the 8th century, some 25,000-30,000 people lived there. According to Hirschfeld, "the city was full of life, with crowded streets, a busy fishing port and a market for the entire Galilee." Tiberias served as a spiritual and political hub for the Jewish people, as well as a center for halakha (Jewish religious law). By the end of the 4th century, Tiberias also became a center of Christian pilgrimage. In terms of the finds he hopes will be unearthed, Hirschfeld believes the excavation will produce "signs and wonders."

 

full article at Haaretz