Acra (fortress)

The Acra (alt: Akra , , ), was a fortified compound in Seleucid Jerusalem of the second century BCE. Built by Antiochus Epiphanes , ruler of the Seleucid Empire , after his sacking of the city in 168 BCE, the fortress played a significant role in the events surrounding the Maccabean Revolt and the formation of the Hasmonean Kingdom . It was destroyed during this struggle by Simon Maccabeus . Although traditionally accepted to be a citadel, this approach has been challenged in recent years. Until relatively recently, scholars assigned the Acra to various sites around Jerusalem, relying mainly on conclusions drawn from literary evidence. This has begun to change with new excavations beginning in the late 1960s, along with reassessments of ancient sources, geography and surviving ancient remains in the light of new discoveries. Yoram Tsafrir has interpreted a seam in the southeastern corner of the Temple Mount platform as a clue to its possible position. During Benjamin Mazar 's 1968 and 1978 excavations adjacent to the south wall of the Mount, features were uncovered which may have been connected with the Acra, including barracks-like rooms and a huge cistern. Its exact location, critical to the understanding of Hellenistic Jerusalem, is a matter of ongoing debate. The Acra is often referred to as the Seleucid Acra in order to distinguish it from the Ptolemaic Baris , itself sometimes referred to as an Acra.

The Acra (or Akra , , ), was a fortified compound in Jerusalem built by Antiochus Epiphanes , ruler of the Seleucid Empire , following his sack of the city in 168 BCE . The fortress played a significant role in the events surrounding the Maccabean Revolt and the formation of the Hasmonean Kingdom . It was destroyed by Simon Maccabeus during this struggle. The exact location of the Acra, critical to understanding Hellenistic Jerusalem, remains a matter of ongoing discussion. Historians and archaeologists have proposed various sites around Jerusalem, relying mainly on conclusions drawn from literary evidence. This approach began to change in the light of excavations which commenced in the late 1960s. New discoveries have prompted reassessments of the ancient literary sources, Jerusalem's geography and previously discovered artifacts. Yoram Tsafrir has interpreted a masonry joint in the southeastern corner of the Temple Mount platform as a clue to the Acra's possible position. During Benjamin Mazar 's 1968 and 1978 excavations adjacent to the south wall of the Mount, features were uncovered which may have been connected with the Acra, including barrack-like rooms and a huge cistern . The ancient Greek term acra was used to describe other fortified structures during the Hellenistic period. The Acra is often called the Seleucid Acra to distinguish it from references to the Ptolemaic Baris as an acra and from the later quarter in Jerusalem which inherited the name Acra.

A fortified compound in Jerusalem built by Antiochus Epiphanes The Acra (also spelled Akra , from , Ḥaqra(h) ) was a fortified compound in Jerusalem built by Antiochus Epiphanes , ruler of the Seleucid Empire , following his sack of the city in 168 BCE . The fortress played a significant role in the formation of the Hasmonean Kingdom , and in the Maccabean Revolt where it was destroyed by Simon Thassi . The exact location of the Acra, critical to understanding Hellenistic Jerusalem, had been a matter of lengthy discussions. Historians and archaeologists had proposed various sites around Jerusalem, relying mainly on conclusions drawn from literary evidence. This approach began to change in the light of excavations which commenced in the late 1960s. New discoveries had prompted reassessments of the ancient literary sources, Jerusalem's geography and previously discovered artifacts. Yoram Tsafrir had interpreted a masonry joint in the southeastern corner of the Temple Mount platform as a clue to the Acra's possible position. During Benjamin Mazar 's 1968 and 1978 excavations adjacent to the south wall of the Mount, features were uncovered which may have been connected with the Acra, including barrack-like rooms and a huge cistern . In 2015, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced the likely discovery of the Acra in a different location, south-west of the Temple Mount and north-west of the City of David . The Ancient Greek term acra was used to describe other fortified structures during the Hellenistic period. The Acra is often called the Seleucid Acra to distinguish it from references to the Ptolemaic Baris as an acra and from the later quarter in Jerusalem which inherited the name Acra.

Fortified place in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BCE For other uses, see Acra (disambiguation) . The Acra (also spelled Akra , from , Ḥaqra(h) ), with the meaning of "stronghold" (see under "Etymology" ), was a place in Jerusalem thought to have had a fortified compound built by Antiochus Epiphanes , ruler of the Seleucid Empire , following his sack of the city in 168 BCE . The name Acra was also used at a later time for a city quarter probably associated with the by-then destroyed fortress, known in his time to Josephus (1st century CE) as both Acra and "the lower city". The fortress played a significant role in the events surrounding the Maccabean Revolt , which resulted in the formation of the Hasmonean Kingdom . The "upper city" was captured by Judas Maccabeus , with the Seleucid garrison taking refuge in the "Acra" below, and the task of destroying this last enemy stronghold inside Jerusalem fell to Simon Maccabeus surnamed Thassi. Our knowledge about the Acra is based almost exclusively on the writings of Josephus, which are of a later date, and on the First and Second Books of Maccabees , which were written not long after the described events. The exact location of Acra within Jerusalem, and even the meaning of the term—fortress, fortified compound inside the city, or compound with an associated fortress—is critical to understanding Hellenistic Jerusalem, but it remains a matter of ongoing discussion. The fact that Josephus has used the name interchangeably with 'the lower city' certainly doesn't help. Historians and archaeologists have proposed various sites around Jerusalem, relying initially mainly on conclusions drawn from literary evidence. This approach began to change in the light of excavations which commenced in the late 1960s. New discoveries have prompted reassessments of the ancient literary sources, Jerusalem's geography, and previously discovered artifacts. The more recent theories combine archaeological and textual evidence and favour locations near the Temple Mount and south of it, but there are alternative theories as well (see "Location" ). The ancient Greek term acra was used to describe other fortified structures during the Hellenistic period. The Acra is often called the Seleucid Acra to distinguish it from references to the Ptolemaic Baris as an acra and from the later city quarter of Jerusalem which inherited the name Acra. Josephus (1980), The Jewish War 1.1.4. Josephus (1980), The Jewish War 1.2.2. The Oxford Handbook of the Apocrypha .