Synagogue Complete
ID: 128
Building type: basilical synagogue
Context:
rural
Inscriptions:
Description:
Aligned on an east–west axis, the synagogue at Khirbet Kanaf was constructed as a trapezoidal hall whose sides measure approximately 12.5 m (west), 13.25 m (east), 15.85 m (south), and 16.4 m (north). None of the original interior fittings—the stone pavement, benches, or the Torah shrine—survive; all were entirely destroyed. The building was first assigned to the third century CE, but numismatic evidence has revised this view. More than five hundred coins were recovered at the site, the majority identified. Of particular relevance are four coins deposited in the synagogue’s foundations. In addition, five coins belong to the periods of Theodosius II or Valentian III (425–450 CE), Marcian (450–457 CE), Leon I (457–474 CE), and two to Anastasius I (491–518 CE). Taken together, these finds indicate that construction should be placed at the beginning of the sixth century CE. The lack of seventh-century material suggests that the settlement at Kanaf was abandoned by the end of the sixth or the start of the seventh century CE. The site came to scholarly attention in 1895, when L. Oliphant recorded an Aramaic lintel inscription and several architectural fragments. A subsequent expedition in 1932, directed by E. Sukenik, documented most of the architectural remains; some were later subjected to vandalism. Sukenik identified portions of ancient walls and pavements and proposed that the synagogue’s main portal was located on the western façade. Later fieldwork consisted of four short excavation seasons conducted by Z. Ma’oz on behalf of the Israel Department of Antiquities and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1978–1980; 1985). Illustration credit: Reconstruction after Maoz 2011, p. 69; courtesy of Zvi Maoz; synagogues.kinneret.ac.il Further reading: - Maoz, Z.U. 1993. “Kanaf,” in The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land, vol. 3, 847–850. - Milson, D.W. 2007. Art and Architecture of the Synagogue in Late Antique Palestine: In the Shadow of the Church, Leiden, 388–389. https://synagogues.kinneret.ac.il/synagogues/kanaf/