Meroth

Other Name: Marus
Religion: Jewish

Archaeological Evidences

Period: Late Roman and/or Byzantnine
Excavation: Excavated
Excavators: Zvi Ilan and Emanuel Damati (1983-1989)
Main Findes: Benches and columns, amulet, coin hoard, mosaic fragments with figurative designs.
Inscriptions: Hebrew and Aramaic (Ilan 1995: 264, 270-272, 278-280)
Mosaics: Yes
Site Condition: Military zone.

Geographic Details

Geographical Region: Upper Galilee
Unnamed Road, ישראל

Selected Bibliography

Selected Bibliography
  1. Ilan, Z. and Damati, I. "The Synagogue and Beth-Midrash at Ancient Meroth" Qadmoniot: A Journal for the Antiquities of Eretz-Israel and Bible Lands 20, 1987: 87-96, (Hebrew).
  2. Ilan, Z. and Damati, E. "Excavation of the Synagogue at Meroth" Qadmoniot: A Journal for the Antiquities of Eretz-Israel and Bible Lands 18, 1985: 44-50, (Hebrew).
  3. Ilan, Z. "The Synagogue and Study House at Meroth" in Ancient Synagogues-Historical Analysis and Archaeological Discovery. ed. Dan Urman and Paul V.M Flesher, 1, Leiden- New York-Koln, 1995: 256-288.
  4. Damati, E. The Meroth Synagogue and its implication on the Chronology of Galilean Synagogues. MA Thesis, Jerusalem, Hebrew University, 2000, (Hebrew).
  5. Ilan, Z. and Damati, E. Meroth; The Ancient Jewish Village. ed. Z. Ilan and E. Damati, Tel Aviv, 1987, (Hebrew; English summary).
  6. Ilan, Z. "Meroth" The New Encyclopedia of Archeological Excavations in the Holy Land. 1993: 1028-1031.
  7. Ilan, Z. "The Synagogue and Beth Midrash at Meroth" in Ancient Synagogues; Historical Analysis and Archaeological Discovery. ed. D. Urman and P.V.M. Flesher, Vol. 1, Leiden, 1995: 256-287.
  8. Mucznik, S. and Ovadiah, A. "The Meroth Mosaic Reconsidered" Journal of Jewish Studies 47;2, 1996: 286-293.
  9. Spigel, C.S. Ancient Synagogue Seating Capacities. Tubingen, 2012: 276-281.
  10. Tsafrir, Y. "The Synagogues at Capernaum and Meroth and the Dating of the Galilean Synagogue" in The Roman and Byzantine Near East; Vol. 2: Some Recent Archaeological Research. ed. J.H. Humphrey, Journal of Roman Archeology suppl. series no.14, Ann Arbor; Michigan, 1995: 151-161.
Photos
Lintel with inscription from study room - Mordechai Aviam © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Lintel with inscription from study room - Mordechai Aviam
General view from North West - Gilead Peli all rights reserved © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
General view from North West - Gilead Peli all rights reserved
General view looking west - Gilead Peli all rights reserved © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
General view looking west - Gilead Peli all rights reserved
Base for the Torah shrine - Gilead Peli all rights reserved © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Base for the Torah shrine - Gilead Peli all rights reserved
Ilan and Damati 1985: 44. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
General View of the Synagogue | Ilan and Damati 1985: 44. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1985: 45. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
The Western Bema of the Synagogue- Looking from East | Ilan and Damati 1985: 45. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1985: 45. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
The Western Bema- Upper Glance | Ilan and Damati 1985: 45. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1985: 46. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
The Second Phase Flooring of the Synagogue, Above it a Later Phase of Flooring and Second Use Architectural Items | Ilan and Damati 1985: 46. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1985: 46. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Amulet | Ilan and Damati 1985: 46. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1985: 46. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Cornice Fragment | Ilan and Damati 1985: 46. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1985: 47. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
The Main Entrance Threshfold and the Portico and Main Hall Flooring | Ilan and Damati 1985: 47. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1985: 47. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
The Tabun Room above the Synagogue flooring | Ilan and Damati 1985: 47. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1985: 48. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
The Mosaic Floor- Figure with Weapons around it | Ilan and Damati 1985: 48. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1985: 48. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Mosaic with Aramaic Inscription | Ilan and Damati 1985: 48. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1985: 50. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Study Room | Ilan and Damati 1985: 50. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1987: 88. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Aerial photograph- The Beth-Midrash is located in the Lower right Corner | Ilan and Damati 1987: 88. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1987: 89. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
The Beth-Midrash and Synagogue- Looking from South-West | Ilan and Damati 1987: 89. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1987: 90. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
The Southern Part of the Synagogue and the Gallery's Staircase | Ilan and Damati 1987: 90. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1987: 90. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Secondary Use of Columns as the Synagogue's Portico Foundations | Ilan and Damati 1987: 90. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1987: 91. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
General View of the Synagogue and Beth-Midrash | Ilan and Damati 1987: 91. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1987: 93. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
The Beth-Midrash's Lintel- With Hebrew Inscription | Ilan and Damati 1987: 93. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1987: 94. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Mosaic with Biblical Citation- Beth Midrash | Ilan and Damati 1987: 94. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1987: 96. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
The Synagogue's fund | Ilan and Damati 1987: 96. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1987: 96. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Bronze Coins from the Synagogue's Fund | Ilan and Damati 1987: 96. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Plans
Ilan 1993: 1029, courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Ilan 1993: 1029, courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society
Ilan and Damati 1987: 88. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Phase A and B of the Early Synagogue- Reconstruction | Ilan and Damati 1987: 88. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1987: 89. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
The Later Phase of the Synagogue- Reconstruction | Ilan and Damati 1987: 89. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1987: 89. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Plan of the Earlier Phase of the Synagogue | Ilan and Damati 1987: 89. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1987: 89. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
Plan of the Later Phase of the Synagogue | Ilan and Damati 1987: 89. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1987: 92. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
The Beth-Midrash Remains | Ilan and Damati 1987: 92. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.
Ilan and Damati 1987: 92. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>
The Beth- Midrash- Reconstruction | Ilan and Damati 1987: 92. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.