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The oldest
archaeological finds relating to synagogues are in Egypt, and date to the third
century BCE. In the Land of Israel the earliest evidence of synagogues is from
the first century CE. Among the most important is a Greek inscription found in
Jerusalem mentioning: “Theodotus, son of Vettenos… who built the synagogue for
purposes of reciting the Law and studying the commandments.”
Written testimonies like the books of Josephus
Flavius and the New Testament mention synagogues as a common feature in Jewish
towns and villages. The synagogue served as the communal center for the reading
of the Torah and not as a house of worship. This function was filled by the
Temple in Jerusalem. Only after the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE did
synagogues become the venue for worship.
After the Bar Kochba Revolt (132-135 CE) and the
destruction of Jewish life in Judea, the Galilee became the center of the Jewish
population in the Land of Israel. In Galilean Jewish towns and villages,
synagogues were constructed, their magnificence symbolizing their vital role in
the Jewish community during the Roman and Byzantine periods.
 The
modern discovery of ancient synagogues began in the nineteenth century. British,
French and German explorers sought out, mapped and excavated many of the ancient
synagogues known to us today. These early excavations more architectural than
archaeological and lacked a method of dating the synagogues.
The
discovery at Beit Alfa in the 1920s of a synagogue with a mosaic floor depicting
pagan gods opened a serious attempt to date and classify the ancient synagogues.
Since then the method of dating ancient synagogues has changed over and over
again and is till in flux - with heated debates over some of the most important
synagogues - like the magnificent structure standing at Capernaum.
The ERETZ Guide to Ancient Synagogues includes
chapters on 21 of the 135 ancient synagogues in the Land of Israel known to us
today. The synagogues include: Bar’am, Katzrin, Chorazin, Capernaum, Hamat
Tiberias, Arbel, Hurvat Amudim, Sepphoris, Beit She’arim, Kochav Hayarden, Beit
She’an, Beit Alfa, Hurvat Somek, Caesarea, Beit Guvrin, Jericho, Herodium,
Masada, Susiya, Ein Gedi
Many of the synagogues are National Parks and the
ERETZ Guide serves as the official guide to the site. The 32-page booklet
is a valuable guide for visitors to the synagogues, an excellent souvenir and
the best available background source. The PDF file is an exact copy of the
printed version.
To purchase the ERETZ GUIDE to Ancient Synagogues PDF file,
click button below
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