Rhaphanaea

Rhaphanaea (Raphanea, Italian Rafanea) is a Catholic titular see. The original diocese was in Syria Secunda, a suffragan of Apamea.

Rhaphanaea is mentioned in ancient times only by Josephus^[1], who says that in that vicinity there was a river which flowed six days and ceased on the seventh, probably an intermittent spring now called Fououar ed-Deir, near Rafanieh, a village of the vilayet of Alep in the valley of the Oronte. The ancient name was preserved. At the time of Ptolemy^[2], the Third Legion (Gallica) was stationed there.

Hierocles^[3] and Georgius Cyprius^[4] mention it among the towns of Syria Secunda. The crusaders passed through it at the end of 1099; it was taken by Baldwin I and was given to the Count of Tripoli.^[5] It was then known as Rafania.

Bishops

The only bishops of Rhaphanaea known are^[6]:

• Bassianus, present at the Council of Nicæa, 325;
• Gerontius at Philippopolis, 344;
• Basil at Constantinople, 381;
• Lampadius at Chalcedon, 451;
• Zoilus about 518;
• Nonnus, 536.

The see is mentioned as late as the tenth century in the Notitia episcopatuum of Antioch.^[7]

Notes

1. ^ Bel. Jud., VII, 5, 1
2. ^ V, 14, 12
3. ^ Synecdemus, 712, 8.
4. ^ 870 (Heinrich Gelzer, Georgii Cyprii descriptio orbis romani, 44)
5. ^ "Historiens des croisades", passim; Rey in "Bulletin de la Société des antiquaires de France", Paris, 1885, 266.
6. ^ Le Quien, "Oriens christianus", II, 921.
7. ^ Vailhé, "Echos d'Orient", X, 94.

References

Attribution

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed (1913). "Rhaphanæa". Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company.  The entry cites:
  • SMITH, Dict. of Gr. and Rom. geogr., s. v.;
  • MÜLLER, notes on Ptolemy, ed. DIDOT, I, 973.

External links

• Catholic Hierarchy page