Home > Sites > Sea of Galilee> Tell Rakkath (Raqqat)

 

Contents: Background Location Ancient Road Photos   * General view   * Spring   * Creek Visit Biblical Refs Other Refs Etymology

Background:

 

   Tell Rakkath was an ancient city on the shore of the sea of Galilee.  It was strategically located at the entrance to the ancient east-west road, and located on a steep hill. Due to its limited space it was abandoned during the Roman period, replaced by the establishment of Tiberias.

 

Location:

  

Tell (Mound) Rakkath is located between Tiberias and Magdala. It is located on a very steep hill that falls into the shore of the sea of Galilee, and on the entrance to the valley of Rakkath creek which flows from the plains of Arbel.

 

Ancient Road:

  

The Rakkath valley was one of the ancient roads that allowed the ancient caravans a path from east (Damascus) to west (Acre) via the sea of Galilee. This was a major highway since the road could not go through the sea of Galilee or through the hills north of the Sea of Galilee.

 

The ancient road climbed up the valley, went through the plains of Arbel  (south of horns of Khitim), then up to the Netufa valley. From there there was an ancient road that connected to the Lower Galilee (Sipphoris, Nazareth and Yafia), west Galilee (Acre), and also to the south of Israel.

 

Photos:

 

                              

General View:

 

The following photo is a view of the Tell (Mound) from the east (sea) side.

 

Note that the site is burnt due to the fires that erupted after the missile attack from Lebanon on August 2006.

 

Click on the photo to view it in higher resolution...

 

 

                        

Rakkath Spring:

 

A view from the side of the Tell towards the Rakkath spring, located on the shore. On the left background are the cliffs of Arbel.

 

 

Another view of the sea of Galilee from the Tell.

 

 

In the Rakkath spring park there is a small church.

 

 

                        

Rakkath Creek valley:

 

A view of the northern slopes of the hill towards Rakkath creek, which is a road that leads to Arbel and west towards the Netufa Valley (and to other sites such as Sipphoris, Nazareth).

 

 

Visit at the site:

 

In order to get there, you can drive from Tiberias  2 KM north along the road. After a visit in the site, you can continue to Magdala which is 2 KM down the road.

 

You can also get to the other (top) side of the Tell from the north the superb of K. Shmuel in the city of Tiberias.

 

Biblical References:

                    

Josha 19: 32,36

 

This text describes the area belonging to the tribe of Naphtali (Naftali):

 

"The sixth lot came out for the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families....

And the fortified cities were Ziddim-zer, and Hammath, and Rakkath, and Chinnereth"

 

Other References:

               

Babylonian Talmud - Megila 1; Megila 2,2:

 

   The Talmud - the 5th CAD books of religious practices, an extension and interpretation of the earlier texts of the Mishna - has another identification of Rakkath:  Sepphoris (Zippori). It writes: "...Rakkath is Zippori. And why has it been called Rakkath? Since she stands higher as the bank of a river".

 

   However, in another text (Megila 2,2) is locates Rakkath near Tiberias.

 

Etymology (behind the name):

 

• Rakkatha - in Aramaic means a high side of a river or lake, which might explain this name

 

• Kuneithra - the name of the place in Arabic.

 

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