Rabbah

Rabbah, also known as Rabbath Ammon, is an ancient Near Eastern city that served as the capital of the Ammonites. The Hebrew Bible refers to it as Rabbah or Rabbath Ammon, a major urban center in Transjordan. The name Rabbah means “great” or “chief” in Hebrew, and Rabbath Ammon denotes the city as the capital of Ammon.

The site lies east of the Jordan River and is identified with the location of the later city of Philadelphia, near the modern city of Amman, Jordan. In antiquity, Rabbah was a fortified urban center on important routes along the Transjordanian trade network and played a significant role in regional politics and warfare between neighboring powers.

In the Hellenistic and Roman periods the city was renamed Philadelphia, a name that appears in Greek and Latin sources and indicates a shift in cultural influence during that era. The continuity of occupation through these periods is reflected in archaeological remains that show urban development, fortifications, and domestic architecture.

Archaeological work at the site has uncovered layers dating from the Iron Age through the Roman period, including city walls, gates, and residential areas. These finds illustrate a long-standing urban center that adapted to successive rulers and cultural influences, contributing to the broader history of Transjordan and the Ammonite kingdom.

Today, Rabbah/Philadelphia is important for scholars studying biblical geography, ancient Near Eastern history, and the transition of Transjordan from local kingdoms to Hellenistic and Roman administration. The site’s identification with modern Amman situates it within Jordan’s cultural and archaeological heritage.