Ancient synagogues in Israel

Archaeologists have uncovered many remains of synagogues from over two thousand years ago, including several that were in use before the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Numerous inscriptions have been found in the ancient synagogues in Israel the vast majority, c.140, of these are in Aramaic, with another c.50 in Greek and only a few in Hebrew.

[2] Discovered at Umm el-Umdan, a site between Modi'in and Latrun, is the oldest synagogue within modern Israel that has been found to date, which existed between the end of the 2nd and the late 1st century BCE, during the Hasmonean period.

[3] For the nearby Qiryat Sefer/Modi'in Illit synagogue (1st century BCE) at Khirbet Badd 'Isa, Ascent of Beth-Horon, see here and here.

The date is known from the inscription over the main door, now displayed at the Israel Museum: "Built four hundred and ninety four years after the destruction of the Temple under the leadership of Hanina ben Lizar and Luliana bar Yuden" (70+494=564).