Marissa (ancient world)
Marissa, formerly known as Moresheth-gath, is an ancient town located in southwestern Judaea, now part of modern Israel. It historically served as a significant settlement at the entrance to the hill country and was integrated into Idumaea after Edomites migrated to the area in the 4th century BC. The town experienced various cultural influences, notably from Sidonian colonists during the reign of Ptolemy II Philadelphus, marking it as a Hellenized center of trade and a hub for slave commerce. Marissa underwent several pivotal events, including destruction by Judas Maccabaeus and later annexation by John Hyrcanus I, which forced religious conversion on its inhabitants.
Under Roman control, Marissa transformed into a rectangular Hellenistic settlement, surrounded by a fortified wall and featuring distinct districts for administration, military, and commerce. Excavations have uncovered evidence of its prosperity, such as wine and olive presses, suggesting a vibrant economy. The site also reveals a blend of cultural artifacts, including lead figures associated with witchcraft and inscribed limestone plaques in multiple languages, highlighting the diverse influences through its history. The cemetery holds significant painted graves, showcasing Ptolemaic styles intermixed with Edomite and Phoenician designs. Overall, Marissa reflects a rich tapestry of historical and cultural interactions in the ancient world.
Marissa (ancient world)
formerly Moresheth-gath (Tel Maresha, Tell Sandahana)
A town in southwestern Judaea (Israel), at the entrance to the hill country. It formed part of Idumaea, after the Edomites moved into the area from Edom in the fourth century BC. Then it received Sidonian colonists from Ptolemy II Philadelphus (289/8–246), serving the Egyptians as the Hellenized capital of western Idumaea and the center of their slave trade. Subsequently it passed into Seleucid hands.
Judas Maccabaeus, founder of the Jewish (Hasmonaean) kingdom (167–160 BC), ravaged the place, and it was annexed, together with the rest of Idumaea, by John Hyrcanus I (135–104), who compelled the population to become Jews and accept circumcision. After the conquest of Judaea by Pompey the Great (c 63), he restored Marissa to its former inhabitants, and it was rebuilt under the direction of Aulus Gabinius (57). In 40, however, it was destroyed by Parthian invaders, and when Idumaea came under the rule of Herod the Great (37–4) it remained insignificant. Later, the town successively belonged to the Roman provinces of Judaea, Syria Palaestina, and Palaestina Salutaris.
The rectangular Hellenistic settlement, encircled by a wall equipped with towers, has been excavated; and wine and olive presses in the neighborhood provide the clues to its prosperity. It comprised twelve blocks, of which one formed the administrative and military center (consisting of a large open court surrounded by offices) and another was a market quarter comprising a paved market and a colonnaded inn. In the other residential blocks most of the houses were built around a central courtyard. Other discoveries include small lead figures (employed in witchcraft) and more than fifty limestone plaques inscribed with incantations and invocations. The languages in which they are written include Hebrew, Greek and an unidentified tongue, and the personal names mentioned are Semitic, Egyptian, Greek and Roman. The cemetery contains two important painted graves of the mid-third century BC, reminiscent of contemporary Ptolemaic tombs in Egypt, with added Edomite and Phoenician motifs.