Umm el-Qanatir
Archaeological site in the Golan Heights / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Umm el-Qanatir, also spelled Umm el-Kanatir (Arabic: ام القناطر, romanized: Umm al-Qanāṭir, lit. 'mother of the arches'), also known as Ein Keshatot (Hebrew: עין קשתות, lit. 'spring of the arches'), is an archaeological site on the Golan Heights, whose main phase is dated to the mid-5th–8th centuries.[1][2] Excavations have revealed a Roman-period Jewish settlement, who left behind the ruins of an exquisite synagogue when they abandoned the town after it being destroyed by the catastrophic 749 earthquake.[3][1] The site is located 10 kilometres east of the Dead Sea Transform,[4] one kilometre southwest of Natur.[1]
Alternative name | Ein Keshatot |
---|---|
Region | Golan Heights |
Coordinates | 32°50′58.92″N 35°44′16.18″E |
Type | Settlement |
History | |
Abandoned | 749 CE |
Periods | Roman period to Umayyad period |
Cultures | Hellenistic, Pagan, Jewish |
Site notes | |
Condition | In ruins; partially reconstructed |
Public access | Yes |
Website | Ein Keshatot |
Identification attempts based on Jewish sources have led to two possible ancient names: Kantur, mentioned by Rabbi Menachem di Luzano in his book Ma'arikh (16th/early 17th century);[5] and Qamtra, the name of a place mentioned in the Talmud and with a Jewish past dating back to the Byzantine period.[2][6]