Jerash: a Polis of Pillars

I am a Pillar of Wisdom. If you believe that, you'll believe anything.

It may not enjoy quite the same cachet as Jordan’s most famous landmark, lovely pink-stoned Petra, but Jerash (less than one hour’s drive from the capital, Amman) is one of the best-preserved Roman settlements in the world today. Jerash has apparently been occupied one way or another since the Neolithic period. It was once known as Gerasa, and might have been founded by one of Alexander the Great’s generals (who may have turned it into a sort of retirement home for old soldiers). On the other hand, it might have been founded by the Egyptians. It certainly briefly became part of the Kingdom of Judaea, but then the Romans turned up. After Roman big cheese Pompey conquered Syria in 64 BC, Jerash formed part of the Decapolis, a league of Hellenistic cities under Roman protection. The Romans then did what they usually did post conquest: started building. 

At its peak in the third century AD, Jerash had a population of some 20,000 and was a bit of a trading hub, also thriving during the Byzantine period. Its slow decline began as a result of Muslim conquest and shifting power bases, and an eighth-century earthquake. The Crusaders were brief tenants in the twelfth century, but Baldwin II, the Crusader King of Jerusalem pretty much demolished what was left of the city. It was being used as a Muslim fortress, you see, so needs must from Baldy’s perspective, I suppose…Following this, there were just small settlements in the area for several hundred years, and most of Jerash was buried beneath the desert sands for centuries before proper excavations began around a hundred years ago.

So, you’ve got Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, Crusaders, all contributing to waves of creation and destruction. Ain’t that just the way of the world? Still, it makes for an interesting place to visit, and there’s plenty to see. Lots of pillars. 

Jerash has two Roman theatres, a North one and a South one, the latter of which still functions. You can see in my video a little impromptu performance I witnessed involving bagpipes, drums, and dancing tourists (glad I was up high and filming. Otherwise, they might have tried persuading me to join in – horror of horrors). I did not know bagpipes don’t originate from Scotland. Seems they probably developed in West Asia in the Bronze Age. Well, there’s a thing. Every day’s a school day.

above: The North Theatre 

above: The South Theatre

If you are interested in Jerash’s history, I found this rather good and pretty comprehensive article, which I shall share rather than repeat much better work than anything I could manage.

Jerash - World History Encyclopedia

Equine companion I met at Jerash.