During a recent visit to the Galilee, a friend from Migdal mentioned the remarkable find of an ancient synagogue, Khirbet Wadi Hamam near Mt. Arbel, so with his directions embedded in my mind, I went to investigate the scene. What seemed to be simple enough turned out to be more complicated since the place is not well marked.
The ruins are on a hillside at the base of Mt. Arbel
but can’t be seen from the road. Realizing I didn’t have a clue where to go next, I phoned my trusty Texas sidekick to come to the rescue. With Earl leading the way, the climb really was easy except for sidestepping cow dung, or sinking into black powder ankle deep. The aroma of fresh manure also made it somewhat difficult to breathe the air.
But the short unmarked trek up the hill was well worthwhile as I turned about face to see the view of the blue waters of the Kinneret, and I found myself standing on the foundation of the ancient synagogue.
Khirbet Wadi Hamam one of the largest and most significant Roman sites so far uncovered in the Galilee. Rising above the ancient ruins is the cliff of Mt. Nitai among the cliffs of Mt. Arbel.
Excavators found a colorful mosaic floor unprecedented in the archaeology of Israel. According to archeological resources: “A unique mosaic synagogue floor with depictions of biblical episodes was a major find. The mosaic depicts a series of craftsmen busy at work on a huge but still unidentified structure of Biblical lore, perhaps Noah’s Ark or Solomon’s Temple.” To find the mosaic floor had been taken up and sent for cleaning and preservation was a little disheartening. Protection from vandals is not happening since, surprisingly, the area is roped off by a single rope to keep the cattle from trespassing.
A huge olive press uncovered indicates this ancient village was known for its olive oil industry. A fresh water spring in the vicinity also indicates to archeologists the site would have been a major metropolitan village of its time for traffic traveling from the east to the coastal area.
The corner pillars of the synagogue, erected in place, have a heart-shaped cross-section, and along the sides are tiers of benches still in place. Of great interest is the foundation of one whole wall which has slid from its original place and covers that edge of the mosaic floor, indicating that the community, along with the synagogue might have been destroyed during the great earthquake of the 1800s in which hundreds of thousands of residents in the vicinity were destroyed.
(A picture of the mosaic floor can be found at: http://archaeology.huji.ac.il/Hamam/Default.aspx )
The Director of the dig in Wadi Hamam is Uzi Leibner of the Hebrew University who is determined the excavation of the synagogue will continue this next spring.
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