Ancient synagogues in Palestine

 Ancient synagogues in Palestine 

Ancient synagogues in Palestine refers to synagogues in the region commonly referred to as Palestine, built by the Jewish community from antiquity to the early Middle Ages.

History

Most of the synagogues unearthed in archaeological excavations in Israel, the Palestinian territories and the Golan Heights date from the Roman and Byzantine periods, from the third to seventh centuries. Synagogues from before the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE include Gamla, Masada and Herodium.[1] The oldest remains of a Palestinian synagogue dates from the 1st-century CE.[2] After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, the local synagogue became its substitute[2] and from Late Antiquity onward, the number of synagogues discovered rise significantly, with over one hundred being unearthed in Palestine alone.[1] Over fifty of these are situated in Galilee and on the Golan Heights.[3]

A survey conducted in the 1970's found that of the known synagogue inscriptions, 67 were in Greek and found in the coastal and major inland cities. Another 54 were in Aramaic, and 14 in Hebrew.[4] The vast majority of inscriptions are dedicatory, while the remainder feature literary sources or are short labels for images.[5] Decorations used on mosaic floors, capitals and lintels were symbolic of the Temple service and included the menorah, lulav and etrog.[6] Lions were depicted to represent the power of God.[7] Aside from remains found in-situ, architectural elements of the synagogues are often found to have been reused in the houses of adjacent villages.[8] Sometimes dressed stones were transferred further afield and lintels from the doorways of ancient Palestinian synagogues are also to be found in contemporary homes in Syria.[9]

The earliest synagogue inscription uncovered to date is in Greek and dates to the first century BCE or the first century CE. It was discovered just south of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem:

All of the early synagogues were purpose-built[6] and many synagogues dating to the talmudic era onwards had annexes attached to the main structure, indicating that synagogues additionally functioned as a communal centres.[10]

Modern-day synagogue architects have relied upon synagogue architecture in ancient Palestine in an attempt to create an "identifiably Jewish style" of synagogue design. The Henry S. Frank Memorial Synagogue in Philadelphia was inspired by the remains of the synagogue at Kfar Bar'am.[11]

Ancient synagogue sites

A Anim Arbel Ashkelon Assaliyye B Bar'am Beit Alfa Beit Gurvin Beit Shean Beit Shearim Belvoir C Capernaum - the best preserved synagogue.[12] Caphra Chorazin D Dabiyye Danna E Ed-Dikke Ein Gedi Ein ha-Naziv Eshtemoa G Gaza Gamla - oldest known Palestinian synagogue[13] and largest estimated seating capacity.[14] Gush Halav

H Hammat Tiberias Hamat Gader Herodium Hurvat Amudim Hurvat Kanaf Hurvat Kishor Hurvat Shema Hurvat Sumaqa Huqoq Huseifa [15] J Jafia Jericho - the smallest synagogue.[16] K Kefar Fahma Kafr Kanna Khirbet Rib M Maon Maoz Chaim Masada Meroth Migdal Meron N Naaran Nabratein

P Peki'in Q Qiyuma R Ramah Rehob Rimmon S Sasa Sifsula Shura Susya T Tirat Zvi Tzippori U Umm el Kanatir Y Yesud HaMa'ala Yodefat W Wadi Qelt Weradim Z Zumeimira

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ancient synagogues in Palestine.

• Ancient synagogues in Israel

References

1. Lee I. Levine (1998). Judaism and Hellenism in antiquity: conflict or confluence. University of Washington Press. p. 139. ISBN 978-0-295-97682-2. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
2. Philip Khuri Hitti (30 January 2004). History Of Syria: Including Lebanon And Palestine. Gorgias Press LLC. p. 365. ISBN 978-1-59333-119-1. Retrieved 7 June2011.
3. Lee I. Levine (May 1982). Ancient synagogues revealed. Israel Exploration Society. p. 12. ISBN 978-0-8143-1706-8. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
4. Lee I. Levine (1975). Caesarea under Roman rule. Brill Archive. p. 198. ISBN 978-90-04-04013-7. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
5. Eric M. Meyers; American Schools of Oriental Research (1997). The Oxford encyclopedia of archaeology in the Near East. Oxford University Press. p. 114.ISBN 978-0-19-511219-1. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
6. John S. Kloppenborg; Stephen G. Wilson; Canadian Society of Biblical Studies (1996). Voluntary associations in the Graeco-Roman world. Psychology Press. p. 102. ISBN 978-0-415-13593-1. Retrieved 7 June 2011.
7. Gail Saul (1984). "The Lion in Ancient Jewish Art Symbol or Decoration". Jewish Affairs. South African Jewish Board of Deputies. p. 53. Kohl and Watzinger, the first scholars to embark upon serious research of Palestinian synagogue architecture and decoration, held the view that the lion was possibly the only genuine symbolic motif representing the power of G-d.
8. Raphael Greenberg, Adi Keinan. Israeli Archaeological Activity in the West Bank 1967-2007: A Sourcebook, Ostracon 2009. pg. 136. ISBN 978-965-91468-0-2.
9. Julian Lincoln Simon (1 January 1990). Population matters: people, resources, environment, and immigration. Transaction Publishers. p. 460. ISBN 978-1-56000-895-8. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
10. Ben Tsiyon Rozenfeld; Joseph Menirav; Chava Cassel (2005). Markets and marketing in Roman Palestine. BRILL. p. 223. ISBN 978-90-04-14049-3. Retrieved7 June 2011.
11. David E. Kaufman (2012). "Modern Architecture and the Jewish Problem: "Jewish Architecture" Reconsidered". In Ruth Weisberg. Jewish Cultural Aspirations. Purdue University Press. p. 78. ISBN 978-1-55753-635-8. …one of the earliest of a growing number of Jewish architects, made direct reference to the archaeological remains of ancient synagogues in Palestine, only recently excavated.
12. John L. Mckenzie (1 October 1995). The Dictionary Of The Bible. Simon and Schuster. p. 855. ISBN 978-0-684-81913-6. The synagogue of Capernaum is the best preserved Palestinian synagogue; like the others, it comes from the 3rd century AD.
13. Chad S. Spigel (2012). Ancient Synagogue Seating Capacities: Methodology, Analysis and Limits. Mohr Siebeck. p. 75. ISBN 978-3-16-151879-9. The synagogue building in Gamla, which was constructed in the early first century CE, is the oldest positively identified synagogue in Palestine.
14. Stephen K. Catto (2007). Reconstructing the first-century synagogue: a critical analysis of current research. T & T Clark. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-567-04561-4. I estimate that it had the largest seating capacity of the Palestinian synagogue buildings and could have accommodated 360.
15. Ancient Mosaic Pavements: Themes, Issues, and Trends: Selected Studies
16. Craig A. Evans (14 January 2014). The Routledge Encyclopedia of the Historical Jesus. Routledge. p. 615. ISBN 978-1-317-72224-3. The smallest synagogue found so far was found in Herodian Jericho.

Bibliography

• Lester L. Grabbe. Synagogues in Pre-70 Palestine: A Re- Assessment, JTS 39 (1988).
• S. Krauss. Nouvelles decouvertes archeologiques de synagogues en Palestine, REJ 89 (1930).
• LI Levine. The Nature and Origins of Palestinian Synagogues, JBL 115 (1996).
• Jodi Magness. Heaven on Earth: Helios and the Zodiac Cycle in Ancient Palestinian Synagogues, Dumbarton Oaks Papers, Vol. 59, (2005), pp. 1-52.
• EL Sukenik. Ancient Synagogues of Palestine and Greece, (London, 1934).
• Dan Urman, Paul Virgil McCracken Flesher. Ancient synagogues: historical analysis and archaeological discovery, BRILL, 1998.

 Ancient synagogues in Israel 

The designation oldest synagogues in Israel requires careful definition. Many very old synagogueshave been discovered in archaeological digs. Some synagogues have been destroyed and rebuilt several times on the same site, so, while the site or congregation may be ancient, the building may be modern.

Archaeologists have uncovered many remains of synagogues from over two thousand years ago, including several that were in use before the destruction of theTemple in Jerusalem. Synagogues securely dated to before the destruction of theTemple in Jerusalem include the Migdal Synagogue, the synagogue of Capernaum, the Herodium synagogue, the synagogue of Qumran, and the small synagogue at the top of Masada.

Hasmonean synagogue of Modiin

Discovered between Modi'in and Latrun is the oldest synagogue within Israel that has been found to date, built during the second century BCE.[1] It includes three rooms and a nearby mikve.

Naburiya synagogue

Naburiya was a Jewish village in the Galilee during the First and Second Temple periods. Neburaya is believed to be identical with Nabratain, a location north of Safed where Eleazar of Modi'im and Jacob of Kfar Neburaya, a compiler of the Haggadah, are buried. [2] The remains of the Naburiya synagogue, discovered in archaeological excavations, indicate that it is one of the oldest in the Galilee. The original synagogue was enlarged during the third century and destroyed in an earthquake in 363 CE. In 564, the synagogue was rebuilt. The date is known from the inscription over the main door, now displayed at the Israel Museum: “Built four hundred and ninety four years after the destruction of the Temple under the leadership of Hanina ben Lizar and Luliana bar Yuden [92 BCE].” The building stood until 640 CE. The façade was partially reconstructed by the Jewish National Fundand the Israel Antiquities Authority.[3]

Synagogues rebuilt on ancient sites

Several synagogues in Israel are located on the sites of far older synagogue buildings but, because the older buildings were destroyed by non-Jewish rulers of the city, the present buildings are reconstructions.

Ancient synagogue sites

A Anim Arbel Ashkelon Assaliyye B Bar'am Beit Alfa Beit Gurvin Beit Shean Beit Shearim Beit Yerah Belvoir C Capernaum Caphra Chorazin D Dabura Dabiyye Danna E Ed-Dikke Ein Gedi Ein ha-Naziv G Gush Halav

H Hammat Tiberias Huldah Hurvat Amudim Hurvat Kanaf Hurvat Kishor Hurvat Shema Hurvat Sumaqa Huqoq Huseifa [4] J Jafia K Kefar Fahma Kafr Kanna Khirbet Rib M Maon Maoz Chaim Masada Meroth Migdal Meron N Nabratein

P Peki'in Q Qiyuma R Rehob Rimmon S Sasa Sifsula Shura T Tirat Zvi Tzippori Y Yesud HaMa'ala Yodefat W Weradim Z Zumeimira

See also

• Ancient synagogues in Palestine
• Archaeology of Israel

References

1. Israel Antiquities Authority
2. Jacob of Kefar Neburaya
3. Naburiya Synagogue
4. Ancient Mosaic Pavements: Themes, Issues, and Trends: Selected Studies

Ancient synagogue sites

A Anim Arbel Ashkelon Assaliyye B Bar'am Beit Alfa Beit Gurvin Beit Shean Beit Shearim Beit Yerah Belvoir C Capernaum Caphra Chorazin D Dabura Dabiyye Danna E Ed-Dikke Ein Gedi Ein ha-Naziv G Gush Halav

H Hammat Tiberias Huldah Hurvat Amudim Hurvat Kanaf Hurvat Kishor Hurvat Shema Hurvat Sumaqa Huqoq Huseifa [4] J Jafia K Kefar Fahma Kafr Kanna Khirbet Rib M Maon Maoz Chaim Masada Meroth Migdal Meron N Nabratein

P Peki'in Q Qiyuma R Rehob Rimmon S Sasa Sifsula Shura T Tirat Zvi Tzippori Y Yesud HaMa'ala Yodefat W Weradim Z Zumeimira

See also