الرفنية | |
 1936 aerial view of Raphanea | |
  Raphanea Shown within Syria | |
| Location | Syria |
|---|---|
| Region | Hama Governorate |
| Coordinates | 34°56′03″N36°23′48″E / 34.93417°N 36.39667°E /34.93417; 36.39667 |
Raphanea orRaphaneae (Ancient Greek:Ῥαφάνεια;[1]Arabic:الرفنية,romanized: al-Rafaniyya; colloquial:Rafniye) was a city of the lateRoman province ofSyria Secunda. Its bishopric was asuffragan ofApamea.
Josephus mentions Raphanea in connection with a river Σαββατικον, referred now to asSambation that flowed only every seventh days (probably an intermittent spring now called Fuwar ed-Deir) and that was viewed byTitus on his way northward fromBerytus after thedestruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.[2]
NearEmesa, Raphanea was the fortified headquarters of theLegio III Gallica from which was launched the successful bid of 14-year-oldElagabalus to becomeRoman Emperor in 218.[3]
Raphanea issued coins under Elagabalus,[4] and many of its coins are extant.[5][6][7]
Hierocles[8] andGeorgius Cyprius[9] mention Raphanea among the towns of Syria Secunda. The crusaders passed through it at the end of 1099; it was taken byBaldwin I and was given to theCount of Tripoli.[10] It was then known as Rafania.[11]
The only bishops of Raphanea known are:[11][12]
The see is mentioned as late as the 10th century in theNotitia episcopatuum ofAntioch.[11][13]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)Authority control databases: Geographic |
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