Anim synagogue
 | |
  Shown within Israel | |
| Location |  Israel |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 31°20′33″N 35°03′42″E / 31.3425°N 35.061667°E |
| Length | 14.5 m (48 ft) |
| Width | 8.5 m (28 ft) |
| History | |
| Material | Hewn stone |
| Founded | 4th-century CE |
| Abandoned | 8th-century CE |
| Periods | Roman-Byzantine |
| Cultures | Jewish |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1988–89 |
| Archaeologists | Z. Ilan & Dan Urman |
| Condition | ruin |
| Public access | yes |
Anim Synagogue, a 25 km (16 mi) drive away northwest of Arad, was an ancient synagogue in use during the 4th–7th centuries CE. The site is recognized as a National Heritage Site of Israel. It is located in the Yatir Forest, immediately south of the Green Line, in Israel.
History[]
The synagogue is located at an ancient site identified with the 'Anim mentioned in the Bible (Joshua 15:50). It is also believed to be the site of the large Jewish village of Anaya during the Roman-Byzantine period.[1]
The synagogue was discovered during an excavation conducted in 1987. It consists of a rectangular prayer hall orientated towards Jerusalem measuring 14.5 by 8.5 metres (48 ft × 28 ft), an entrance portico and a courtyard with rooms on both sides.[1] Hewn stone walls still stand to a height of 3.5 m (11 ft) and two entrances on the east side survive with their lintels intact. Evidence of a mosaic floor was found beneath the current stone slab flooring[1] and fragments of an inscription remain.[2] The building functioned as a synagogue until the seventh or eighth century when it was turned into a mosque.[2]
The site of the ancient Jewish village is now known as Lower Horvat Anim, with a neighbouring contemporary Christian village at Upper Horvat Anim just 2 km northeast from it.[3][4] Excavations at Upper Horvat Anim have uncovered the remains of a larger regional Byzantine church outside the village, overlooking it from the hill to the east and joined to it by a pathway - a configuration repeatedly met in the Southern Hebron Hills. [3]
See also[]
References[]
- ^ a b c Dan Urman; Paul Virgil McCracken Flesher (1998). Ancient synagogues: historical analysis and archaeological discovery. BRILL. pp. 135–136. ISBN 978-90-04-11254-4. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ a b Günter Stemberger (2000). Jews and Christians in the Holy Land: Palestine in the fourth century. Continuum International Publishing Group. pp. 150–151. ISBN 978-0-567-08699-0. Retrieved 2 October 2010.
- ^ a b Doron Bar, 'The Christianisation of Rural Palestine during_Late Antiquity', Journal of Ecclesiastical History, Vol. 54, No. 3, July 2003, pp.401-421; p.413.
- ^ Horvat 'Anim at BibleWalks.com, accessed 16 July 2019
External links[]
- The Design of the Ancient synagogues in Judea: Horvat Ma’on and Horvat ‘Anim, by D. Chen & D. Milson.
- Ancient synagogues in the Land of Israel
- Archaeological sites in Israel
- Religious buildings and structures converted into mosques
- 8th-century mosques
- 4th-century synagogues
- 8th-century disestablishments in the Abbasid Caliphate