Raphanea
Ancient city in Syria Secunda
title: "Raphanea" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["catholic-titular-sees-in-asia", "former-populated-places-in-syria", "archaeological-sites-in-hama-governorate"] description: "Ancient city in Syria Secunda" topic_path: "philosophy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphanea" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Ancient city in Syria Secunda ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox ancient site"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Raphanea |
| native_name | الرفنية |
| image | Ifpo 21511 Syrie, gouvernorat de Hama, district de Masyaf, région de Raphanée, vue aérienne oblique.jpg |
| caption | 1936 aerial view of Raphanea |
| map_type | Syria |
| map_size | 250 |
| location | Syria |
| region | Hama Governorate |
| coordinates | |
| :: |
|name = Raphanea |native_name = الرفنية |alternate_name = |image = Ifpo 21511 Syrie, gouvernorat de Hama, district de Masyaf, région de Raphanée, vue aérienne oblique.jpg |alt = |caption = 1936 aerial view of Raphanea |map_type = Syria |map_alt = |map_size = 250 |location = Syria |region = Hama Governorate |coordinates = |type = |part_of = |length = |width = |area = |height = |builder = |material = |built = |abandoned = |epochs = |cultures = |dependency_of = |occupants = |event = |excavations = |archaeologists = |condition = |ownership = |management = |public_access = |website = |notes =
Raphanea or Raphaneae (; ; colloquial: Rafniye) was a city of the late Roman province of Syria Secunda. Its bishopric was a suffragan of Apamea.
History
Josephus mentions Raphanea in connection with a river Σαββατικον, referred now to as Sambation that flowed only every seventh days (probably an intermittent spring now called Fuwar ed-Deir) and that was viewed by Titus on his way northward from Berytus after the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
Near Emesa, Raphanea was the fortified headquarters of the Legio III Gallica from which was launched the successful bid of 14-year-old Elagabalus to become Roman Emperor in 218.
Raphanea issued coins under Elagabalus, and many of its coins are extant.
Hierocles and Georgius Cyprius mention Raphanea among the towns of Syria Secunda. The crusaders passed through it at the end of 1099; it was taken by Baldwin I and was given to the Count of Tripoli. It was then known as Rafania.
Episcopal see
The only bishops of Raphanea known are:
- Bassianus, present at the Nicaea, 325;
- Gerontius at Philippopolis, 344;
- Basil at Constantinople, 381;
- Lampadius at Chalcedon, 451;
- Zoilus about 518;
- Nonnus, 536.
The see is mentioned as late as the 10th century in the Notitia episcopatuum of Antioch.
References
References
- Emil Schürer. (2014). "A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ: Two Divisions in Five Volumes". Aeterna Press.
- [http://www.ccel.org/j/josephus/works/war-7.htm Josephus, ''The War of the Jews or The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem'', book 7, chapter 5, 1]
- 978-1-13413185-3), p. 209
- 978-0-89236715-3), p. 117
- [http://numismatics.org/search/results?q=department_facet:%22Greek%22%20AND%20mint_facet:%22Raphanea%22 American Numismatic Society: Raphanea]
- "Elagabalus AE21mm Raphanea in Syria".
- [http://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=42046.0;wap2 Raphanea Genius Coin]
- ''[[Synecdemus]]'', 712, 8.
- 870 ([[Heinrich Gelzer]], ''Georgii Cyprii descriptio orbis romani'', 44)
- "Historiens des croisades", passim; Rey in "Bulletin de la Société des antiquaires de France", Paris, 1885, 266.
- [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13018c.htm Sophrone Pétridès, "Rhaphanaea" in ''Catholic Encyclopedia'' (New York 1912)]
- [[Le Quien]], "Oriens christianus", II, 921.
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