1,500-year-old synagogue uncovered in Golan Heights nature reserve - Joanie Margulies

 

by Joanie Margulies

Excavations in the Golan Heights have revealed a 1,500-year-old synagogue built of basalt and hewn stone, offering rare evidence of Jewish continuity in the region.

 

Avigail Rosenbaum Bracha, field manager of the synagogue area near Mashkof and Tabula Anasta.

(photo credit: Courtesy)

A magnificent 1,500-year-old synagogue, whose location was previously unknown to experts, has been uncovered in an archaeological excavation within the Yehudiya Nature Reserve in the Golan Heights. The discovery was announced on Sunday morning following an excavation led by the Nature and Parks Authority and the University of Haifa.

The site, which dates back to the Roman and Byzantine periods (1st century BCE to 7th–8th centuries CE), was confirmed by the recovery of dozens of decorated architectural items, lintels, and basalt columns.

The focused excavation revealed the building's southern wall for the first time. It was constructed of ashlars, or hewn stone blocks, and included three distinct openings. Near these openings, researchers found two lintels, one of which is decorated, close to their original positions.

For years, the synagogue’s exact location remained a mystery, despite hundreds of architectural items from the Byzantine period having been documented in the area.

Dr. Michael Ezband from the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa explained that the breakthrough came during a multi-year study to document architectural items in the region. "We identified an unusual concentration of items and column fragments lying on a path in the abandoned modern village, and that's where we decided to conduct an inspection," he said.

Aerial photograph of the excavation, September 30, 2025, showing the southern wall at the bottom of the frame. (credit: Courtesy)

"Already at the beginning of the excavation, dozens of architectural items were uncovered, and later, to our surprise, the southern wall of the building was also uncovered, with three openings facing Jerusalem," Dr. Ezband added.

Evidence of a firm Jewish presence

The new find adds to the rich history of the Golan Heights during the Roman and Byzantine eras.

According to Dr. Dror Ben-Yosef, an archaeologist from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, this synagogue joins approximately 25 other ancient synagogues discovered in the Golan, "attesting to the firm hold of Judaism on the Golan".

Dr. Ben-Yosef noted that these synagogues served as centers not only for prayer but also for Jewish learning and literacy, visited by sages who spread knowledge throughout the community.

The Nature and Parks Authority plans to complete the excavation of the magnificent synagogue in the future and make it accessible to all visitors to the reserve. 

Joanie Margulies

Source: https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-869497

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