THAMARA
Israel.
A fortress on the border
between the Negev and the Arabah. The site is twice
mentioned in the ancient sources: Eusebius (
Onom. 8.8)
states that the village of Thamara is situated one day's
march from Mapsis (= Mampsis), on the road from
Hebron to Aila, and that in his day there was a fortress
with soldiers there. The
Nototia Dignitatum (34; 40),
of the early 4th c. A.D., places a Palestinian cohort there.
Thamara is generally identified with Qasr el-Juheinieh
(Mesad Thamar), on the road from Beersheba to Sodom.
Before excavation (1973; not yet published), a large
fortress (44 x 42 m) had been observed there, apparently
of the Late Roman period. It has a large central court
(44 x 42 m) and projecting corner towers. There is a
gate and several large halls on its N side, with stairs
leading to an upper story from inside the court. Large
halls occupied the E side with smaller rooms to the S
and W. There are indications of a large cistern in the
middle of the court.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
F. Frank, “Aus der Arabah I,”
ZDPV
57 (1934) 199
P; A. Alt, “Aus der Arabah II,” ibid., 58
(1935) 33-35.
A. NEGEV
