The story of place: Discovery Roman Bathhouse Changes Understandings of Nazareth's History
by Heba
Zoabi
April 12, 2007
The ancient bathouse in Nazareth is an impressive
archeological
site that includes inside it treasures from more than one era, leading
to
disagreements about its origins. It was discovered by accident by a
couple under
their commercial shop in the city centre, and is beside one of the most
sacred
and historical places in Christianity, Marys Well, known for
its pure and
sacred water because the Virgin Mary drank from it.
The story of the bathhouse began in 19 when
Elias and
Martina Shama bought a small shop and started renovating it and cleaning
its
black walls. In the past the place had been used for selling building
materials.
Elias and his wife could not have expected that the old shop would
change their
lives, and our understanding of history, the way it has done. Under
their
souvenir store they found an archeological puzzle whose origins have
been
intriguing scientists ever since.
The debate spurred by the discovery has drawn experts and
scientists into a
major controversy. A few still believe it dates back only to the recent
Turkish
period, while others claim it is pre-Roman, based on the opinion of the
Israeli
Antiquities Authority. Another authority, Professor Tzvika Shaham, who
works as
director of a museum in the city of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, says the bathhouse
probably
dates back to the Crusader era. Yet others concluded, according to
available
evidence, that its origins go back even further, all the way to the
Roman era,
to the times when Jesus himself lived in Nazareth.
Professor Carsten Peter Thiede, a scholar in archeology and
religion who
spent 20 years excavating the area of Qumran and the Dead Sea with the
Antiquities Authority, describes the place in his most recent book "The
Cosmopolitan World of Jesus" (2005), in which he analyses the historical
implications of the discovery. Prof Thiede says in his book:
Returning to the discovery of the Roman
baths in
Nazareth, we realize that such an installation, should it really turn
out to be
Roman and to have been available to non-Roman inhabitants like Mary,
Joseph and
Jesus, would merely underline what we could have gathered from the
sources
anyway. The only real surprise to many may be the conclusion that
Nazareth was
anything but a nondescript village with a handful of poor
Jews.
For Martina and Elias, who were enthralled by the beauty and magic
of the
bathhouse, the issue was never in any doubt. They are now daily
operating the
site which is a major archeological and historical project of the first
degree
and expect to see it come to new life and be crowded with visitors from
all over
the world. The success of the bathhouse has become their top priority
and first
concern, and they have invested all their resources and money in
excavating the
site. The more the excavation advances, the more they discover new and
interesting facts that help clarify the identity and origins of the
bathhouse.
According to all the known facts and technologies, the site is
Roman.
Dating the bathhouse from its archeological features
Visitors who come to their shop stand in the first room of the
bathhouse,
the Caldarium (the hot room), in an area where they currently sell
traditional
embroidery and souvenirs to tourists. Steam emerged from vents fed by
two
terracotta pipes that are still visible and connected to a large furnace
that
produced the baths heating. The upper pipe provided steam to
the Tepidarium
(the tepid room) while the lower pipe channelled back the excess steam.
(it
should be noted that the lukewarm room is not located in the section of
the bath
owned by Elias and Martina.)
This old and interesting method, using all the thermal energy for
distributing the heat is the same used in other Roman Baths in what were
once
various parts of the Roman Empire.
The bathhouse is distinguished by the presence of an additional
heating
method under the floor of the shop. Elias and Martina take visitors to
see the
Hypocaust, underground channels that were located beneath the hot and
lukewarm
rooms. The channels were made of terracotta tiles and have arches that
were
built with absolute architectural precision. They are in such good
condition
that it appears as if time has not touched them, only added to their
beauty.
An ancient historical site amid Nazareths busy
urban
life
The bathhouse carries you swiftly along to ancient times. The
building
contains symbols from more than one era, such as the sculptured palm
trees on
one of the walls, a symbol expressing victory and consensus among the
people who
built the place. A lower room (where once the furnaces ashes
were gathered) is
decorated with big circular, meticulously built arches. Close by the
hall is the
big furnace where you can there let your imagination roam free as you
picture
the workers feeding the insatiable fire with wood to keep happy a bath
full of
tired bathers. The furnace, one of the largest from the Roman period
ever
discovered, would have worked around the clock.
This astonishing find has led more than one scientist to argue that
the
city of Nazareth must have been an important Roman city, which would
explain the
presence of such an impressive Roman bath. No one really knows if that
assumption is correct. But it proves that we must rethink the history of
the
region and especially of Nazareth.
Oustanding matters still waiting for further excavation
Elias and Martina, the owners of the archeological bathhouse, tell
of an
incident that happened in 19. One day the ashes room filled with water
reaching as high as half a meter, and then just as suddenly it drained
off and
air bubbles came up from the ground. Wondering what lay behind what they
had
just seen saw, Elias contacted antiquity experts. A group of scientists
came
from Harvard University in the US headed by Professor Richard Freud, who
works
on excavations in Israel every summer. An ultrasound image was taken to
a depth
of eight meters. The results suggested more than one explanation,
including the
possibility that there are yet deeper channels beneath the bathhouse;
another
hypothesis talks about the building of the bathhouse above a water
reservoir.
However, the end of excavations in the bathhouse has so far
prevented
further discoveries from being made about the remaining parts of the
site that
are not owned by Elias and Martina. The total area of the bathhouse is
about
1,300 meters square, while the couple own only around 150 meters square.
The
cold room and the tepid room are not inside the area of their shop and
this of
course obstructs them from achieving their big dream of recreating the
bathhouse
and making it operate once again.
The need for economic investment in an archeological
site
Commenting on how he was able to preserve the bathhouse even though
it is
an archeological site, Elias said:We have kept the place since
19. If it
hadnt been for our personal attachment to the place, it would
have been
demolished. The initial findings of the Antiquities Authorities
suggested that
the building was of Turkish origins and therefore that it could be
demolished
and we could use the land for any purpose. We thank God that this did
not happen
because of our hunch. The law allows us to invest in it and because of
that fact
we have kept it and preserved it, and saved it for
mankind.
The importance of this place is in defining the historical identity
of
Nazareth. Because of it we now know that the city was home to several
ancient
civilizations which left their imprints in terms of valuable
archeological sites
that could become major tourist attractions if they were
excavated.
These facts oblige me to appeal to international organisations and
all
those who have visited the bathhouse and expressed their admiration in
the
visitors book to transform their admiration into concrete
support for the
individual efforts of Elias and Martina. This couple preserved an
archeological
treasure and made their findings public to the world to the point that
several
international newspapers have written about it in their different
languages
because they appreciated how important it is to an understanding of our
heritage
and our civilization.
Tags: Bat= hhouse , Elias , Roman
Comments
by coincidence, I visited the Bathhouse the day before you worte this article!... I cannot reiterate what a fabulous and enthralling place this is, and to sit and talk with Elias and his wife for more than an hour was a privelege. Not only are the baths incredible, but to think that Elias himself excavated the site with little help and to sense the energy and enthusiasm form both him and his wife... I wish them all the goodness in the world, and look forward to returning sometime...
Rating: No Ratingimportant place must be visit
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