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Praetorium

Occupation:            
Late Roman to Early Islamic;
Late Ottoman to Modern

Size:
27.2 m E-W by 15 m N-S

Field Seasons:
1977, 1981, 1984


First described by Butler’s 1905 expedition, the Praetorium remains one of Umm el-Jimal’s most impressive structures. Consisting of the multi-roomed building itself, a domestic compound to the SW, an eastern cistern, and a walled southern courtyard, its design blends both Hellenistic and local elements. Although its early use cannot be completely ascertained, its foundations, plan, skilled finishing, and decorative elements suggest it was built in the 3rd century AD and served as a site of civil administration under the Roman imperial presence at nearby Bostra. In later periods it was converted to domestic use, and was reoccupied in the late nineteenth century AD.