Ancient Roman Legion’s Base Discovered in Galilee

words by Carol King The site where one of the two Ancient Roman legions was based in Israel between 120 AD and 300 AD has been unearthed in Galilee, reports ‘Archaeology Magazine’. The find represents the first time in the archaeology of the Roman Empire that a Roman camp of the period has been excavated in the eastern part of the empire. The Israel Antiquities Authority discovered the site, which is being excavated as part of the Jesreel Valley Regional Project. The Ancient Roman Legio VI Ferrata (Sixth Ironclad Legion) was founded by Julius Caesar and historical sources indicate it was garrisoned in the Roman province of Judea in the 2nd century. The legion was posted to guard the strategic pass at Tel Meggido during the Bar Kokhba revolt of 132 AD to 136 AD, when Judean Jews rebelled against their Roman rulers. The area where the legion had its camp was named ‘Lajjun’, which derives from ‘Legio’. A variety of archaeological remains had hinted at the location of the legion’s camp, but no one had found its exact location. The legion’s former base was found between the ancient fortified city at Tel Megiddo and the oldest-known Christian house of worship, which lies about half a mile south and was abandoned at approximately the same time as the legion’s camp. An archaeologist from Tel Aviv University, Yotam Tepper, told ‘Archaeology Magazine’: “From here, around 3,500 soldiers in a hierarchical system ruled over the Galilee and part of Samaria.” Tepper added: “You can see that the camp wasn’t destroyed but was abandoned in an orderly way.” Archaeologists have unearthed pipes for water, a sewage channel, the bottom of a wall, a moat surrounding the camp, coins and tiles. Perhaps the most exciting find is the legion’s symbol on a broken shingle. The other Roman legion in Israel was the Legio X Fretensis (Tenth Legion of the Sea Strait), which was based in Jerusalem.