Yodfat
| Yodfat | |
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 Yodfat
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| Coordinates: 32°50′13″N 35°16′25″E / 32.83694°N 35.27361°ECoordinates: 32°50′13″N 35°16′25″E / 32.83694°N 35.27361°E | |
| District | Northern |
| Council | Misgav |
| Affiliation | Kibbutz Movement |
| Founded | Bronze Age (Israelite town) 1st century (second Judean town) 1960 (modern town) |
| Founded by | Hebrew Reali School graduates |
| Population (2015) | 710 |
Yodfat (Hebrew: יוֹדְפַת), is a moshav shitufi in northern Israel. Located in the Lower Galilee, south of Carmiel and in the vicinity of the Atzmon mountain ridge, north of the Beit Netofa Valley, it falls under the jurisdiction of Misgav Regional Council. In 2015 it had a population of 710.
Yodfat is named after the Second Temple-era town of the same name and is situated to the north of the archaeological mound. Yodfat was established in 1960 by graduates of the Hebrew Reali School of Haifa.
Ancient Yodfat (Jotapata), situated to the south east of the modern moshav, is mentioned in the Mishna as a fortified Jewish village dating from the time of Joshua, corresponding with the Iron Age. It has also been linked to [Ia]-at-bi-te of the Assyrian Annals or Jotbah mentioned in the Bible (2 Kings 21:19). Archaeological exploration of the site, however, have thus far revealed a modest village established some time during the Hellenistic period, between the 4th and 3rd centuries BCE. As the Hasmonean kings extended their influence into the Galilee during the last decades of the 2nd century BCE, a change of population occurred at Yodfat and the village was populated by Jews.
By the first century CE Yodfat had expanded to encompass an area of 50 dunams (13 acres). Its siege and subsequent destruction in 67 CE are described in Josephus Flavius' The Wars of the Jews, his chronicle of the Great Jewish Revolt against the Romans. Led by future emperor Vespasian, three Roman legions — Legio V Macedonica, X Fretensis, and XV Apollinaris — besieged Yodfat, meeting strong Jewish resistance. After 47 days the city fell by treachery, and Josephus describes the death of 40,000 Jews and the enslavement of 1,200 women and children. Yodfat was razed and burnt on the first of the Hebrew month of Tammuz. While a few dozen remaining fighters committed suicide, Josephus managed to survive this pact and was captured by the Romans.
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