Archaeologists Uncover Stunning Mosaic in Large Ancient Galilean Synagogue

The mosaic floor section emerged as excavators uncovered the synagogue interior.

mosaic floor section emerged as excavators uncovered the synagogue interior.

Discovering an ancient synagogue in the Galilee region of present-day Israel may not be an unusual thing, but when it sports monumental architecture and a portion of a finely crafted floor mosaic depicting a biblical scene, it begins to attract some notice.
The remains of the synagogue, located in Huqoq in the Galilee region, has been dated to the Late Roman period (4th - 5th centuries C.E.). Uncovering the remains of mosaic floors in ancient synagogue excavations is not atypical, but this one, located within a synagogue of apparent monumental proportions and featuring an artfully designed scene from the stories of Samson in the Book of Judges of the Hebrew Bible, is counted among only a few with similar features and qualities.
“This discovery is significant because only a small number of ancient (Late Roman) synagogue buildings are decorated with mosaics showing biblical scenes, and only two others have scenes with Samson,” said Magness, the Kenan Distinguished Professor in the department of religious studies in UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences. “Our mosaics are also important because of their high artistic quality and the tiny size of the mosaic cubes. This, together with the monumental size of the stones used to construct the synagogue’s walls, suggest a high level of prosperity in this village, as the building clearly was very costly.”
The mosaic, consisting of small colored stone cubes, depicts a scene in Judges Chaper 15 where Samson is positioning torches between the tails of foxes. Another scene depicts two human female faces flanking a circular medallion with a Hebrew inscription about rewards for the righteous.
The excavations are being carried out under the sponsorship of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Brigham Young University, Trinity University in Texas, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Toronto in Canada. Archaeologists and their excavation teams plan to return to the site in 2013 to uncover more of the synagogue.
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Cover Photo, Top Left: The leading archaeologists of the synagogue excavation, pictured with a portion of the mosaic. Photo credit: Jim Hoverman
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