Ancient synagogue (Eshtemoa)
Encyclopedia
The Eshtemoa Synagogue, located 15 km south of Hebron
in as-Samu
, West Bank
, refers to the remains of an ancient Palestinian synagogue
dating from around the 4th–5th century CE.
, identified as modern as-Samu
, was an ancient city named in the Bible, (Josh. 21:14.) During Roman
and Byzantine period
, Eshtemoa was described as a large Jewish village.
The remains of the synagogue were identified by L.A. Mayer and A. Reifenberg in 1934. In 1969–70, a full excavation of the site revealed that the building occupied the most prominent site in the village. It was built in "broadhouse" style without columns and measured 13.3 m (44 ft) by 21.3 m (70 ft). Entry was by any of three doors along its eastern side and one of the three niches recessed into the northern wall functioned as the Torah Ark. The building housed a mosaic floor and displayed external ornamental carvings. Four seven-brached menorahs were discovered carved onto door lintels and one of them is displayed in Jerusalem's Rockefeller Museum
.
After the Muslim conquest, the synagogue was converted into a mosque and a mihrab
was added. The western wall is still standing to a height of 7 m (23 ft). Many architectural elements of the building have be reused inside the modern village.
Hebron
Hebron , is located in the southern West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Nestled in the Judean Mountains, it lies 930 meters above sea level. It is the largest city in the West Bank and home to around 165,000 Palestinians, and over 500 Jewish settlers concentrated in and around the old quarter...
in as-Samu
As-Samu
As Samu or es-Samu is a town in the Hebron Governorate of the West Bank, 12 kilometers south of the city of Hebron. as-Samu is 60 kilometers south-west of Jerusalem. The area is a hilly, rocky area cut by some wadis. The Armistice Demarcation Line runs generally east to west approximately five...
, West Bank
West Bank
The West Bank ) of the Jordan River is the landlocked geographical eastern part of the Palestinian territories located in Western Asia. To the west, north, and south, the West Bank shares borders with the state of Israel. To the east, across the Jordan River, lies the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan...
, refers to the remains of an ancient Palestinian synagogue
Palestinian synagogues
Palestinian synagogues refers to synagogues which existed in ancient Palestine from antiquity up till the beginning of the Middle Ages.Most date from the Roman and Byzantine periods, from the third to seventh centuries, and relatively few synagogues have been found in from before the destruction of...
dating from around the 4th–5th century CE.
History
EshtemoaEshtemoa
Eshtemoa, meaning obedience, is a name found in the Bible.*A son of Ishbah or maybe a town inhabited by Ishbah's descendants. *A descendent of Bithiah princess of Egypt and Mered ....
, identified as modern as-Samu
As-Samu
As Samu or es-Samu is a town in the Hebron Governorate of the West Bank, 12 kilometers south of the city of Hebron. as-Samu is 60 kilometers south-west of Jerusalem. The area is a hilly, rocky area cut by some wadis. The Armistice Demarcation Line runs generally east to west approximately five...
, was an ancient city named in the Bible, (Josh. 21:14.) During Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
and Byzantine period
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
, Eshtemoa was described as a large Jewish village.
The remains of the synagogue were identified by L.A. Mayer and A. Reifenberg in 1934. In 1969–70, a full excavation of the site revealed that the building occupied the most prominent site in the village. It was built in "broadhouse" style without columns and measured 13.3 m (44 ft) by 21.3 m (70 ft). Entry was by any of three doors along its eastern side and one of the three niches recessed into the northern wall functioned as the Torah Ark. The building housed a mosaic floor and displayed external ornamental carvings. Four seven-brached menorahs were discovered carved onto door lintels and one of them is displayed in Jerusalem's Rockefeller Museum
Rockefeller Museum
The Rockefeller Museum, formerly the Palestine Archaeological Museum, is an archaeological museum located in East Jerusalem that houses a large collection of artifacts unearthed in the excavations conducted in Ottoman Palestine beginning in the late 19th century.The museum is under the management...
.
After the Muslim conquest, the synagogue was converted into a mosque and a mihrab
Mihrab
A mihrab is semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the qibla; that is, the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca and hence the direction that Muslims should face when praying...
was added. The western wall is still standing to a height of 7 m (23 ft). Many architectural elements of the building have be reused inside the modern village.