Base of the 6th Roman Legion Discovered in Galilee

News July 5, 2013

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(Jesreel Valley Regional Project)

GALILEE, ISRAEL—After a long search, the site of one of the two Roman legions based in Israel between 120 and 300 A.D. has been discovered by Yotam Tepper of the Israel Antiquities Authority and archaeologist Matthew Adams. They have unearthed the base of a wall, a moat surrounding the camp, water pipes, a covered sewage channel, coins, tiles, and the legion’s symbol on a broken shingle. “From here, around 3,500 soldiers in a hierarchical system ruled over the Galilee and part of Samaria,” Tepper said. The camp is located between the ancient fortified city at Tel Megiddo and the oldest-known Christian house of worship, which was abandoned at about the same as the legion camp. “You can see that the camp wasn’t destroyed but was abandoned in an orderly way,” added Tepper. The excavation is part of the Jesreel Valley Regional Project.

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