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חמת גדר | |
 Modern hot springs-fed pools | |
  Hammat Gader Shown within Israel | |
| Location | Israel |
|---|---|
| Region | Northern District |
| Coordinates | 32°41′03″N35°39′55″E / 32.68417°N 35.66528°E /32.68417; 35.66528 |
Hamat Gader (Hebrew:חַמַּת גָּדֵר;Imperial Aramaic:חמתא דגדר,hammata degader;Ancient Greek:Ἑμμαθά,Emmatha or῎Αμαθα,Amatha;[1]Arabic:الحمة السوريةal-Hamma) is ahot springs site in theYarmuk River valley, located in an area underIsraeli control, near theGolan Heights and the border withJordan. It contains a spa, modern and ancient baths, acrocodilians farm and a zoo.
Hamat Gader, known for its health benefits and recreation sinceclassical antiquity, was mentioned in several historical texts. Built by theRomans in the 2nd century, the site featured a bath complex and atheater. Anancient synagogue, complete withmosaics and inscriptions, also stood within its walls. Despite earthquakes damaging the site in the 7th and 8th centuries, it continued to attract visitors until abandonment in the 9th century, eventually becoming buried beneathsilt.[2]
It is set on severalmineral springs with temperatures up to 50 °C.[citation needed]
The site is located in what was a demilitarized zone betweenIsrael andSyria from 1949 to 1967.[3] The site is next to theJordanian border, and about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from thetripoint of Israel, Jordan and Syria.
The ancient Hebrew name,Hammat Gader orHammath Gader, meanshot springs of Gader,[4] also translated asHammath-by-Gadara.[5] The ruins of the ancient city ofGadara stand south of Hammat Gader,[4] on the plateau edge above the springs, in modernUmm Qais.[citation needed]
The Arabic nameAl-Hammeh orEl-Hamma dates back to the medieval period[4] and also relates to "hot springs". The name of thetell located near the site,Tell Bani,[5][6] is acorruption of theLatin word meaning "baths".[citation needed]
Hamat Gader was already a widely known health and recreation site inRoman times.[7] It is mentioned inStrabo,[8]Origen[9] andEunapius,[10] as well as theRabbinic literature of the first centuries CE.[vague][citation needed]
Construction of the bath complex began in the 2nd century by the10th Roman Legion, which was garrisoned in the city ofGadara. Two distinct construction periods are evident at the site: The Roman-Byzantine Period, during which most of the bath complex was built, and the Muslim period, during which major changes were made to the existing structures.[11]
The site includes aRoman theatre, which was built in the 3rd century CE and contained 2,000 seats.
A largesynagogue was built in the 5th century CE.[12] The synagogue complex is enclosed by a 32.5-meter-long wall and oriented southwards towardsJerusalem. The main prayer hall, nearly square at 13 meters per side, boasted two rows of columns, an apse, and a bema set into the southern wall. Adorned with a mosaic floor, the hall retained four well-preservedAramaic inscriptions, while damaged sections bore inscriptions detailing donations from various locales.[2]Sukenik's 1932 excavation uncovered the main structure along with the Aramaic mosaic inscriptions and aGreek inscription from the chancel screen.[12][2] Subsequent analysis by G. Foerster in 1982 shed light on earlier phases of construction.[2]
The empressAelia Eudocia composed apoem praising the qualities of the multiple springs which was inscribed so that visitors could see it as they went into the pool.
Some of the buildings including the famousthermae were damaged by an earthquake and restored in 663 by the firstUmayyadcaliphMu'awiyah who ruled fromDamascus.[13] A century later the749 Galilee earthquake hit. Eventually, in the 9th century, the baths were abandoned and a thick layer ofsilt covered the ruins.
The border between theMandatory Palestine and theFrench Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon was drawn in 1923, and Al-Hamma was included in Palestine.[14][better source needed]
Before 1949, the Palestinian Arab villageAl-Hamma was located at this site. At the time of the1931 census, it had 46 occupied houses and a population of 170 Muslims, 1 Jew and 1 Christian.[15]
After the1948 Arab–Israeli War, according to thearmistice agreements of 1949 Between Israel and Syria, it was determined that the area would be included in thedemilitarized zone (DMZ) between Israel andSyria. The villagers and their property were formally protected by Article V of the Israeli-Syrian agreement of 20 July that year.[16][17] However, Israel thought the Arab villagers could pose a security threat, and Israeli settlers and settlement agencies coveted the land. Israel therefore wanted thePalestinian inhabitants, a total of 2,200 people, moved to Syria.[16]
On April 4, 1951, a two-vehicle military patrol set out for Hamat Gader in order to assert Israeli sovereignty over the site, over the objections from the Northern Command that Syria was likely to attack it.[18] Since military forces were not permitted in the DMZ, members of the patrol were disguised as policemen.[18] As predicted, the Syriansattacked the patrol and seven Israeli soldiers were killed.[18] In retaliation, Israel bombed the Syrian police station at al Hamma and another Syrian position, killing two women, and demolished the empty houses inKirad al-Ghannama,Kirad al-Baqqara,Al-Samra andNuqeib in order to render the DMZ "clear of Arabs".[18]
Israeli control over Hamat Gader was secured during theSix-Day War in 1967, when theIsraeli army occupied the surroundingGolan Heights, allowing free access to Hamat Gader for Israelis. Since then, it has been under Israeli control and has been developed as a tourist attraction, health resort and an alligator and exotic bird reserve. The health resort opened in 1977.[19]
Today, Hamat Gader also includes acrocodilian farm withcrocodiles,alligators and evencaimans andgavials. It has about 200 crocodilians and it is the largest crocodile farm in theMiddle East.[citation needed]
The Hamat Gader tourist site is centered around thermal baths and a crocodile farm. The water of the thermal baths containssulfur at a concentration of 4.7%, which may have a therapeutic effect on skin diseases,asthma, rheumatism and wrist pain, as well as renew skin cells.[citation needed]
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32°41′2.51″N35°39′55.43″E / 32.6840306°N 35.6653972°E /32.6840306; 35.6653972
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