Daughters of Jacob Bridge
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|---|---|
 The modern concrete bridge in 2016 | |
| Coordinates | 33°0′37.02″N 35°37′41.83″E / 33.0102833°N 35.6282861°E |
| Crosses | Jordan River |
| Locale | |
| Named for | Jacob |
| History | |
| Opened | 2007 |
| Location | |
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The Daughters of Jacob Bridge (Hebrew: גשר בנות יעקב, romanized: Gesher Bnot Ya'akov, Arabic: جسر بنات يعقوب, romanized: Jisr Benat Ya'kub)[1] is a bridge that spans the last natural ford of the Jordan River between the Korazim Plateau in northern Israel and the Golan Heights.
The area has been used as a crossing point for thousands of years; it was part of the recently-dubbed Via Maris, and was strategically important to the Ancient Egyptians, Assyrians, Hittites, Jews, Saracens (early Muslims), Crusaders, Ayyubids, Mamluks, Ottomans, and to modern inhabitants and armies who crossed the river at this place.
The site was named Jacob's Ford (Latin: Vadum Iacob) by Europeans during the Crusades. A stone bridge was built by the Mamluks sometime in the 13th century, who called it Jisr Ya'kub (lit. 'Jacob's Bridge'). The medieval bridge was replaced in 1934 by a modern bridge further south during the draining of Lake Hula.[2] The bridge currently in civilian use was built in 2007.
Within the vicinity of the ford is the location of a well known Paleolithic archaeological site with Acheulean artifacts dated to around 780,000 years ago.
Located southwest of the medieval bridge are the remains of a crusader castle known as Chastelet and east of the bridge are the remains of a Mamluk khan (caravanserai). The old arched stone bridge marked the northernmost limit of Napoleon's campaign in Syria,[3][4] and was the site of the Battle of Jisr Benat Yakub during World War I.
The bridge is now part of the Israeli Highway 91 and straddles the border between the Galilee and the Golan Heights. It is of strategic military significance as it is one of the few fixed crossing points over the upper Jordan River that enable access from the Golan Heights to the Upper Galilee.
- ^ Sharon, 1999, p. 41
- ^ Sufian, 2008, pp. 165 ff
- ^ Preston, 1921, p. 261
- ^ Jill, Duchess of Hamilton (2002). First to Damascus: the great ride and Lawrence of Arabia. Roseville: Kangaroo Press. p. 158. ISBN 9780731810710. OCLC 248935397.