fbpx
Wikipedia

Arqa

December 20, 2023

Arqa (Arabic: عرقا, romanized: ʿArqā; Akkadian: 𒅕𒋡𒋫, romanized: Irqata) is a Lebanese village[1] near Miniara in Akkar Governorate, Lebanon, 22 km northeast of Tripoli, near the coast.

Arqa
عرقا
City
remains of Crusader Castle, Arqa
Arqa
Location within Lebanon
Coordinates: 34°31′50″N 36°02′45″E / 34.53056°N 36.04583°E / 34.53056; 36.04583
Country Lebanon
GovernorateAkkar
DistrictAkkar
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Dialing code+961

The town was a notable city-state during the Iron Age. The city of Irqata sent 10,000 soldiers to the coalition against the Assyrian king in the Battle of Qarqar. The former bishopric became a double Catholic titular see (Latin and Maronite). The Roman Emperor Alexander Severus was born there. It is significant for the Tell Arqa, an archaeological site that goes back to Neolithic times, and during the Crusades there was a strategically significant castle.

Names edit

It is mentioned in Antiquity in the Amarna letters of Egypt-(as Irqata), as well as in Assyrian documents.

The Roman town was named Caesarea (of Lebanon/Phoenicia) or Arca Caesarea.

History edit

Early Bronze edit

In the Early Bronze IV, the Akkar Plain had three major sites in Tell Arqa, Tell Kazel, and Tell Jamous.[2] The cultural focus had been towards the south and southern Levant, but now changed with more influence from Inner Syria and the use of copper.

Middle Bronze edit

In the MB I the Akkar Plain still saw smaller settlements being added near Tell Arqa and the region reach its highest population density in MB II.[3]

1350 BC Amarna letters Irqata edit

Further information: Amarna letter EA 100

Arqa has the distinction of being a city-state that wrote one of the 382 Amarna letters to the Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt.

The city-state Irqata was the 3rd city of the Rib-Hadda letters, (68 letters), that were the last hold-outs against the (H)Apiru invasion. Sumur(u)-(Zemar) was the 2nd hold-out city besides Rib-Hadda's Byblos, (named Gubla). Eventually, the king of Irqata, Aduna was killed along with other city kings, and also the 'mayor' of Gubla, Rib-Hadda. Rib-Hadda's brother, Ili-Rapih, became the successor mayor of Gubla, and Gubla never fell to the Hapiru.

During Rib-Hadda's lengthy opposition to the Habiru, even the city-state of Irqata and its elders, wrote to the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten for assistance. (EA 100, EA for el Amarna).

The letter is entitled: "The city of Irqata to the king".

This tablet-(i.e. tablet letter) is a tablet from Irqata. To the King, our Lord: Message from Irqata and its el[d]ers. We fall at the feet of the king, our lord, 7 times and 7 times. To our lord, the Sun: Message from Irqata. May the heart of the king, (our) lord, know that we guard Irqata for him.
When the [ki]ng, our lord, sent D[UMU]-Bi-ha-a, he said to [u]s, "Message of the king: "Guard Irqata"! " The sons of the traitor to the king seek our harm; Irqata see[ks] loyalty to the king. As to [ silver ] having been given to S[u]baru al[ong with] horses and cha[riots] , may you know the mind of Irqata. When a tablet from the king arrived (saying) to ra[id] the land that the 'A[piru] had taken [from] the king,'they wa[ged] war with us against the enemy of our lord, the man whom you pla[ced] over us. Truly—we are guarding the l[and]. May the king, our lord, heed the words of his loyal servants.
May he grant a gift to his servant(s) so our enemies will see this and eat dirt. May the breath of the king not depart from us. We shall keep the city gate barred until the breath of the king reaches us. Severe is the war against us—terribly! terribly! -EA 100, lines 1-44 (complete)[citation needed]

Hellenistic and Roman period edit

After the death of Alexander the Great Arca came under the control first of the Lagids then of the Seleucids. When the Romans gained control over this part of western Asia, they entrusted Arca as a client tetrarchy or vassal principality to a certain Sohaimos, who died in AD 48 or 49. It was then incorporated in the Roman province of Syria, but was soon entrusted to Herod Agrippa II. Pliny the Elder counts it among the tetrarchies of Syria. It was at this time that its name was changed to Caesarea,[4] distinguished from other cities of that name by being called Caesarea ad Libanum or Arca Caesarea. Under Septimius Severus (193–211) it was made part of the province of Syria Phoenicia and so became known as Arca in Phoenicia. Under his son Caracalla (198–217) it became a colonia and in 208 Alexander Severus was born at Arca during a stay of his parents there.[5]

Crusades period edit

At the time of the First Crusade, Arca became an important strategic point of control over the roads from Tripoli to Tartus and Homs. Raymond of Toulouse unsuccessfully besieged it for three months in 1099. In 1108, his nephew William II Jordan conquered it and it became part of the County of Tripoli. It resisted an attack by Nur ad-Din, atabeg of Aleppo, in 1167 and another in 1171.

It finally fell to Muslim forces of the Sultan Baibars in 1265 or 1266. When Tripoli itself fell in 1289 to the army of Sultan Qalawun and was razed to the ground, Arca lost its strategic importance and thereafter is mentioned only in ecclesiastical chronicles.[citation needed]

Later period edit

In 1838, Eli Smith noted the village, whose inhabitants were Greek Orthodox, located west of esh-Sheikh Mohammed.[6]

Ecclesiastical history edit

Arca in Phoenicia became the seat of a Christian bishop in the Roman province of Phoenicia Prima, a suffragan of the capital's metropolitan see of Tyre.

Of its bishops, Lucianus professed the faith of the First Council of Nicaea at a synod held in Antioch in 363, Alexander was at the First Council of Constantinople in 381, Reverentius became archbishop of Tyre, Marcellinus was a participant at the Council of Ephesus in 431, Epiphanius took part in a synod at Antioch in 448, and Heraclitus participated in the Council of Chalcedon in 451 and was a signatory of the letter that the bishops of the province of Syria Phoenicia sent in 458 to Byzantine Emperor Leo I the Thracian to protest about the murder of Proterius of Alexandria.[7][8][9]

No longer a residential bishopric, Arca in Phoenicia is today listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see,[10] in two traditions: Latin and Maronite (Eastern Catholic, Antiochian Rite in Syriac).

Latin titular see edit

The nominally restored diocese has had non-consecutive titular bishops as a Latin Catholic titular bishopric since the 18th century.

It is vacant, having had the following incumbents, all of the lowest (episcopal) rank :

Maronite titular see edit

Established as Titular Episcopal See of Arca (Arca dei Maroniti in Curiate Italian); promoted in 1933 as Titular Archiepiscopal See of Arca in Armenia, in 1941 suppressed, but restored in 1950 as Titular Episcopal See of Arca in Phoenicia.

It has had the following incumbents, all of the lowest (episcopal) rank :

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ (PDF). The Monthly. March 2010. p. 22. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ^ Thalmann 2007:221
  3. ^ Thalmann 2007:221
  4. ^ The Middle East under Rome, Maurice Sartre (Harvard University Press 2005 ISBN 978-0-67401683-5), p. 77
  5. ^ S.M. Cecchini, "Tell'Arqa" in Enciclopedia dell'Arte Antica (Treccani 1997)
  6. ^ Robinson and Smith, 1841, vol 3, 2nd appendix, p. 183
  7. ^ Michel Lequien, Oriens christianus in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus, Paris 1740, Vol. II, coll. 823-826
  8. ^ Konrad Eubel, Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi, vol. 7, p. 86
  9. ^ Pius Bonifacius Gams, Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae, Leipzig 1931, p. 434
  10. ^ Annuario Pontificio 2013 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 ISBN 978-88-209-9070-1), p. 837

Bibliography edit

  • Jean-Paul Thalmann (2007) Agricultural practices and settlement patterns in the Akkar plain (Northern Lebanon) in the Late Early and Early Middle Bronze Ages. Pp. 219-232 in : MORANDI-BONACOSSI, D. (ed) Urban and Natural Landscapes of an Ancient Syrian Capital

Sources and external links edit

  • Aarqa, Localiban
  • GCatholic Latin titular see with incumbent biography links
  • GCatholic Maronite titular see with incumbent biography links

December 20, 2023
arqa, this, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, march, 2013, learn, when, remove, this, template, message, arabic, عرقا,. This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations March 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message Arqa Arabic عرقا romanized ʿArqa Akkadian 𒅕𒋡𒋫 romanized Irqata is a Lebanese village 1 near Miniara in Akkar Governorate Lebanon 22 km northeast of Tripoli near the coast Arqa عرقاCityremains of Crusader Castle ArqaArqaLocation within LebanonCoordinates 34 31 50 N 36 02 45 E 34 53056 N 36 04583 E 34 53056 36 04583Country LebanonGovernorateAkkarDistrictAkkarTime zoneUTC 2 EET Summer DST UTC 3 EEST Dialing code 961The town was a notable city state during the Iron Age The city of Irqata sent 10 000 soldiers to the coalition against the Assyrian king in the Battle of Qarqar The former bishopric became a double Catholic titular see Latin and Maronite The Roman Emperor Alexander Severus was born there It is significant for the Tell Arqa an archaeological site that goes back to Neolithic times and during the Crusades there was a strategically significant castle Contents 1 Names 2 History 2 1 Early Bronze 2 2 Middle Bronze 2 3 1350 BC Amarna letters Irqata 2 4 Hellenistic and Roman period 2 5 Crusades period 2 6 Later period 3 Ecclesiastical history 3 1 Latin titular see 3 2 Maronite titular see 4 See also 5 References 6 Bibliography 7 Sources and external linksNames editIt is mentioned in Antiquity in the Amarna letters of Egypt as Irqata as well as in Assyrian documents The Roman town was named Caesarea of Lebanon Phoenicia or Arca Caesarea History editEarly Bronze edit In the Early Bronze IV the Akkar Plain had three major sites in Tell Arqa Tell Kazel and Tell Jamous 2 The cultural focus had been towards the south and southern Levant but now changed with more influence from Inner Syria and the use of copper Middle Bronze edit In the MB I the Akkar Plain still saw smaller settlements being added near Tell Arqa and the region reach its highest population density in MB II 3 1350 BC Amarna letters Irqata edit Further information Amarna letter EA 100 Arqa has the distinction of being a city state that wrote one of the 382 Amarna letters to the Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt The city state Irqata was the 3rd city of the Rib Hadda letters 68 letters that were the last hold outs against the H Apiru invasion Sumur u Zemar was the 2nd hold out city besides Rib Hadda s Byblos named Gubla Eventually the king of Irqata Aduna was killed along with other city kings and also the mayor of Gubla Rib Hadda Rib Hadda s brother Ili Rapih became the successor mayor of Gubla and Gubla never fell to the Hapiru During Rib Hadda s lengthy opposition to the Habiru even the city state of Irqata and its elders wrote to the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten for assistance EA 100 EA for el Amarna The letter is entitled The city of Irqata to the king This tablet i e tablet letter is a tablet from Irqata To the King our Lord Message from Irqata and its el d ers We fall at the feet of the king our lord 7 times and 7 times To our lord the Sun Message from Irqata May the heart of the king our lord know that we guard Irqata for him When the ki ng our lord sent D UMU Bi ha a he said to u s Message of the king Guard Irqata The sons of the traitor to the king seek our harm Irqata see ks loyalty to the king As to silver having been given to S u baru al ong with horses and cha riots may you know the mind of Irqata When a tablet from the king arrived saying to ra id the land that the A piru had taken from the king they wa ged war with us against the enemy of our lord the man whom you pla ced over us Truly we are guarding the l and May the king our lord heed the words of his loyal servants May he grant a gift to his servant s so our enemies will see this and eat dirt May the breath of the king not depart from us We shall keep the city gate barred until the breath of the king reaches us Severe is the war against us terribly terribly EA 100 lines 1 44 complete citation needed Hellenistic and Roman period edit After the death of Alexander the Great Arca came under the control first of the Lagids then of the Seleucids When the Romans gained control over this part of western Asia they entrusted Arca as a client tetrarchy or vassal principality to a certain Sohaimos who died in AD 48 or 49 It was then incorporated in the Roman province of Syria but was soon entrusted to Herod Agrippa II Pliny the Elder counts it among the tetrarchies of Syria It was at this time that its name was changed to Caesarea 4 distinguished from other cities of that name by being called Caesarea ad Libanum or Arca Caesarea Under Septimius Severus 193 211 it was made part of the province of Syria Phoenicia and so became known as Arca in Phoenicia Under his son Caracalla 198 217 it became a colonia and in 208 Alexander Severus was born at Arca during a stay of his parents there 5 Crusades period edit At the time of the First Crusade Arca became an important strategic point of control over the roads from Tripoli to Tartus and Homs Raymond of Toulouse unsuccessfully besieged it for three months in 1099 In 1108 his nephew William II Jordan conquered it and it became part of the County of Tripoli It resisted an attack by Nur ad Din atabeg of Aleppo in 1167 and another in 1171 It finally fell to Muslim forces of the Sultan Baibars in 1265 or 1266 When Tripoli itself fell in 1289 to the army of Sultan Qalawun and was razed to the ground Arca lost its strategic importance and thereafter is mentioned only in ecclesiastical chronicles citation needed Later period edit In 1838 Eli Smith noted the village whose inhabitants were Greek Orthodox located west of esh Sheikh Mohammed 6 Ecclesiastical history editArca in Phoenicia became the seat of a Christian bishop in the Roman province of Phoenicia Prima a suffragan of the capital s metropolitan see of Tyre Of its bishops Lucianus professed the faith of the First Council of Nicaea at a synod held in Antioch in 363 Alexander was at the First Council of Constantinople in 381 Reverentius became archbishop of Tyre Marcellinus was a participant at the Council of Ephesus in 431 Epiphanius took part in a synod at Antioch in 448 and Heraclitus participated in the Council of Chalcedon in 451 and was a signatory of the letter that the bishops of the province of Syria Phoenicia sent in 458 to Byzantine Emperor Leo I the Thracian to protest about the murder of Proterius of Alexandria 7 8 9 No longer a residential bishopric Arca in Phoenicia is today listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see 10 in two traditions Latin and Maronite Eastern Catholic Antiochian Rite in Syriac Latin titular see edit The nominally restored diocese has had non consecutive titular bishops as a Latin Catholic titular bishopric since the 18th century It is vacant having had the following incumbents all of the lowest episcopal rank Pedro del Canizo Losa y Valera 1726 09 21 Jozef Krystofowicz 1809 03 28 1816 02 26 Francisco de Sales Crespo y Bautista 1861 12 23 1875 07 05 Pierre Marie Le Berre Holy Ghost Fathers C S Sp 1877 09 07 1891 07 16 Claude Marie Dubuis 1892 12 16 1895 05 22 Alfredo Peri Morosini 1904 03 28 1931 07 27 Jean Edouard Lucien Rupp 1954 10 28 1962 06 09 as Auxiliary Bishop of France of the Eastern Rite France 1954 10 28 1962 06 09 later Exempt Bishop of the then diocese of Monaco Monaco 1962 06 09 1971 05 08 Apostolic Pro Nuncio papal diplomatic envoy to Iraq 1971 05 08 1978 later Titular Archbishop of Dionysiopolis 1971 05 08 1983 01 28 Apostolic Pro Nuncio to Kuwait 1975 1978 Permanent Observer to Office of the United Nations and Specialized Institutions in Geneva UNOG 1978 1980 Hugo Aufderbeck 1962 06 19 1981 01 17 Maronite titular see edit Established as Titular Episcopal See of Arca Arca dei Maroniti in Curiate Italian promoted in 1933 as Titular Archiepiscopal See of Arca in Armenia in 1941 suppressed but restored in 1950 as Titular Episcopal See of Arca in Phoenicia It has had the following incumbents all of the lowest episcopal rank Abdallah Nujaim 1950 07 25 1954 04 04 Bishop elect Joao Chedid Mariamite Maronite Order O M M Aleppians 1956 05 04 1956 05 04 as Auxiliary Bishop of Brazil of the Eastern Rite Brazil 1956 04 21 1956 05 04 1971 11 29 later Bishop of Nossa Senhora do Libano em Sao Paulo of the Maronites Brazil 1971 11 29 1988 02 27 Archbishop Bishop of Nossa Senhora do Libano em Sao Paulo of the Maronites 1988 02 27 1990 06 09 Roland Aboujaoude 1975 07 12 Auxiliary Bishop emeritus of Antioch of the Maronites Lebanon See also editCanaan List of Catholic dioceses in LebanonReferences edit Municipal and ikhtiyariah elections in Northern Lebanon PDF The Monthly March 2010 p 22 Archived from the original on 3 June 2016 Retrieved 3 November 2016 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link Thalmann 2007 221 Thalmann 2007 221 The Middle East under Rome Maurice Sartre Harvard University Press 2005 ISBN 978 0 67401683 5 p 77 S M Cecchini Tell Arqa in Enciclopedia dell Arte Antica Treccani 1997 Robinson and Smith 1841 vol 3 2nd appendix p 183 Michel Lequien Oriens christianus in quatuor Patriarchatus digestus Paris 1740 Vol II coll 823 826 Konrad Eubel Hierarchia Catholica Medii Aevi vol 7 p 86 Pius Bonifacius Gams Series episcoporum Ecclesiae Catholicae Leipzig 1931 p 434 Annuario Pontificio 2013 Libreria Editrice Vaticana 2013 ISBN 978 88 209 9070 1 p 837Bibliography editMoran William L The Amarna Letters Johns Hopkins University Press 1987 1992 softcover ISBN 0 8018 6715 0 Robinson E Smith E 1841 Biblical Researches in Palestine Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea A Journal of Travels in the year 1838 Vol 3 Boston Crocker amp Brewster Jean Paul Thalmann 2007 Agricultural practices and settlement patterns in the Akkar plain Northern Lebanon in the Late Early and Early Middle Bronze Ages Pp 219 232 in MORANDI BONACOSSI D ed Urban and Natural Landscapes of an Ancient Syrian CapitalSources and external links editAarqa Localiban Pictures of excavations of the city GCatholic Latin titular see with incumbent biography links GCatholic Maronite titular see with incumbent biography links Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Arqa amp oldid 1171521482, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.