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Earliest Menorah Uncovered Near Sea of Galilee

[Ha'aretz] Eli Ashkenazi - An Israel Antiquities Authority dig near Moshava Migdal on the shores of the Sea of Galilee has uncovered the earliest known synagogue, dated to the days of the Second Temple. The dig is intended as a salvage operation ahead of the construction of a hotel on a site owned by the Franciscan church. At the center of the uncovered synagogue is an engraving of a seven-branched menorah. The synagogue's central hall measured 120 meters square and was surrounded by benches for attendees. On the floor was a mosaic and the walls were frescoed. "This is the first time a menorah engraving from the Second Temple age has been uncovered, the earliest menorah in a Jewish context, dated to the beginning of the Roman period," site director Dina Avshalom-Gorni said.
2009-09-11 08:00:00
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