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Hippos was located on a flat mountain overlooking the Sea of Galilee. It was probably founded by Greek colonists in the Hellenistic era, in the late third or early second century BC. It is thought that when Jesus mentioned a "city on a hill," he may have been referring to Hippos.
During the Roman period the city was extensively rebuilt, with new temples and a street grid. According to Josephus, Hippos, the major pagan city on the Sea of Galilee, was the "sworn enemy" of Tiberias, the major Jewish city. In Byzantine times the city was gradually Christianized. Four churches were built, including a cathedral which was the seat of a bishop.
Unlike the other cities of the Decapolis, Hippos has not received much attention from archaeologists until recently. The first excavations were only caried out in 2000 by the University of HaifaThe University of Haifa is a university in Haifa, Israel. About 13,000 undergraduate and graduate students study in the university a wide variety of topics, specializing in social sciences, humanities, law and education. The University is broadly divided. The project is expected to continue until 2009.
This information is from the University of Haifa excavation report.