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Contents: Background Location Photos   * North  * South

Background:

 

      The Romans linked their center of administration, located in Damascus, to the Galilee. They set up roads that enabled an efficient route through the tough terrain.  Traces of such roads can be seen in several locations in the Golan heights.

 

 

Location and Maps:

 

  There are several sections of the Roman roads in the Golan: South and North Golan.

 

(a) South Golan:

  

   This west-east route was also used in prehistoric times as well and along its path are prehistoric sites. The Romans improved the road, as it may have been the major road that connected the sea of Galilee (and ancient Israel) to the Roman administration center in Syria.

 

   This is its route  (west to east): the Roman road starts  near Moshav Ramot on the sea of Galilee, where it connects through BethSaida and Capernaum to the west. The road passes south of the ancient village of Kanaf, climbs up the Kanaf valley, passes 1KM south of Daliyoth junction (roads #869 and #808) and continues eastwards to the village El-Jurniyeh. There it splits to two east borne roads (that pass the Syrian border towards Damascus).

This section is seen below.

 

 

 

 

 

(b) North Golan:

  

The  road passed through Banias (Panias - Caesarea Philippi) and joined the road to Damascus.

 

                   (review of that section will be covered in the future)

 

Photos:

 

(a) South Golan:

  

 The photo below shows a section of the road south of the Daliyoth junction, west to the main modern highway  (#808). The road used to be, in ancient times, paved with large stones. These are hardly visible now. Along the road there were milestones, most of them with inscribed ranges. Some of the milestones were found near Moshav Ramot.

 

Click on the photos to view in higher resolution...

 

The photo below shows the  Kanaf valley, near Moshav Ramot, where the road started. It passed through the valley and climbed up the Golan heights towards the east (on the right side). On top of the hill in the center background is Khirbet Kanaf, a Roman period village.

 

 

(b) North Golan

 

 

     *** Photos will be added soon.

 

 

 

 

 

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