Roman Fort at Yotvata

Roman Fort at Yotvata
N 29”53’02.39 O 35”02’50.90
Yotvata is the modern name of an oasis with saline marshes located in southern Arava
(rift valley), about 35 km north of Eilat. The name Yotvata is based on the possible
identification of the oasis with Biblical “Jotbathah, a land with brooks of water” (Deut.
10:7), one of the Israelites’ encampments during their desert wanderings. The water
springs and location made Yotvata a focus for settlement in different periods, with a
number of ancient sites located around the oasis.
The fort is located to the west of and next to the main highway to Eilat. A stone police
station of the British Mandatory period sits atop the remains of the fort. In plan, the
fort is a typical Roman castellum: a square enclosure measuring approximately 40 x
40 meters (ca. 120 feet square). In the 1970’s, an expedition under the direction of
Zeev Meshel of Tel Aviv University made some soundings in the fort. This expedition
discovered two main occupation levels, both of which they dated to the fourth century
C.E. on the basis of coins.
In the mid-1980’s, a monumental Latin inscription was discovered by accident.
Originally set above the main (east) gate, it tells us that the fort was built by Priscus,
probably one of the governors (praeses) of the province of Syria-Palestina during the
reign of Diocletian and the other tetrarchs (293-305). This fort guarded the oasis and
its garrison would have escorted caravan traffic along the valley road.
Photo by Google
A StoneWatch Work 2008©
Photos by Josef Otto
1
A British police station was built over the ruins.
photo by Josef Otto
South Corner of the police station of the British Mandatory period
Hebrew and Arabic inscriptions
photo by Josef Otto
detail
photo by Josef Otto
Corner of the police station of the British Mandatory period
only Arabic inscriptions
photo by Josef Otto
3
detail
photo by Josef Otto
Roman Fort Findings
found Roman ceramic(s)
photo by Josef Otto
4
Fragment of a Roman hot spring
photo by Josef Otto
5
Roman Fort at yotvata, Detail
details of the Roman Fort an the fragment of a Roman hot spring photo by Josef Otto
6
Roman Fort at yotvata, Detail
details of the Roman Fort
photo by Josef Otto
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
Ancient Arabic cemetery in the near of the Roman Fort
more than 50 tombs in different positions
photo by Josef Otto
46