Tabaqat Fahl is a modern village near ancient Pella, where human presence dates back to over a quarter of a million years. Although the initial inhabitants were nomadic, by the Bronze Age Pella had developed into a significant walled city. Under Roman rule this was one of the cities of the Decapolis, and roads linked Tabaqat Fahl to Gerasa, Abila, and Scythopolis on the far side of the River Jordan. Although the Bible makes no reference to Pella, it was a significant trading center, and other historical documents from that period do mention it frequently. Christians began settling in Pella after they fled the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD, and Christianity was well established by the middle of the 2^nd century. Pella prospered during the Byzantine period with flourishing trade, a growing population, and extensive construction projects, the remains of which are still visible today.