  Arpad Shown within Syria | |
| Location | Syria |
|---|---|
| Region | Aleppo Governorate |
| Coordinates | 36°28′N37°06′E / 36.47°N 37.10°E /36.47; 37.10 |
Arpad (Old Aramaic:𐡀𐡓𐡐𐡃,romanized: ʾRPD;Biblical Hebrew:אַרְפַּד,romanized: ʾArpaḏ orאַרְפָּד,ʾArpāḏ;[1] modernTell Rifaat,Syria) was an ancientAramaeanNeo-Hittite city located in north-western Syria, north ofAleppo. It became the capital of the Aramaean state ofBit Agusi established by Gusi of Yakhan in the 9th century BC.[2] Bit Agusi stretched from theA'zaz area in the north toHamath in the south.[3]
Arpad later became a major vassal city of theKingdom of Urartu. In 743 BC, during theUrartu-Assyria War, theNeo-Assyrian kingTiglath-Pileser III laid siege to Arpad following the defeat of the Urartuan army ofSarduri II atSamsat. But the city of Arpad did not surrender easily. It took Tiglath-Pileser three years of siege to conquer Arpad, whereupon he massacred its inhabitants and destroyed the city.[4] Afterward Arpad served as a provincial capital.[5] Tell Rifaat, which is probably the remains of Arpad, has walls still preserved to a height of eight meters.[6]
The city is mentioned several times in theHebrew Bible:
The Assyrianvizier,Rabshakeh, lists the god(s) of Arpad among those who he alleges have been unable to save their cities from Assyrian assault.[8]
The word Arpad in Hebrew means 'the light of redemption',[9] or 'I shall be spread out (or: supported)'[10]
Tel Rifaat is an oval 250 by 233 meters. Within this, the main citadel is 142 by 142 meters with a maximum height of 30 meters. The defensive wall surrounding the site is about two miles long.
The site has been worked by a team from theInstitute of Archaeology or theUniversity of London. After a preliminary examination in 1956, Tell Rifa'at was excavated for two seasons in 1961 and 1964. The team was led byVeronica Seton-Williams.[11][12]
In 1977, an archaeological survey was conducted of the area around Tell Rifa'at, also by the Institute of Archaeology.[13]
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