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Meroth

Other Name: Marus
Religion: Jewish

Archaeological Evidences:

Period: Late Roman and/or Byzantine
Excavation: Excavated
Excavators: Zvi Ilan and Emanuel Damati (1983-1989)
Main Finds: Benches and columns, amulet, coin hoard, mosaic fragments with figurative designs.
Inscriptions: Hebrew and Aramaic (Ilan 1995: 264, 270-272, 278-280, CIIP V/1: 184-193).
Mosaics: Yes
Site Condition: Military zone.
General view looking west - Gilead Peli all rights reserved

Geographic Details

Geographical Region: Upper Galilee
Unnamed Road, ישראל

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Selected Bibliography:

Selected Bibliography
  1. Price, J. J. and Yardeni, A. "Meroth" in Corpus Inscriptionum Iudaeae/Palaestinae. ed. W. Ameling et. al., V/Part 1: Galilaea and Northern Regions, Berlin/Boston, De Gruyter, 2023: 184-193.
  2. Sandhaus, D. "Selected Pottery from the Synagogue at Ḥorbat Merot" 109, Atiqot, 2022: 83-115.
  3. Bijovsky, G. "The Coins from the Synagogue at Ḥorbat Merot, Upper Galilee" 109, Atiqot, 2022: 117-155.
  4. Damati, E. "The Synagogue at Ḥorbat Merot: Its Construction Phases and a New Interpretation of the Finds" 109, Atiqot, 2022: 89-139, (Hebrew).
  5. Damati, E. "The Synagogue and Bet Midrash of Ancient Merot" in Ancient Synagogues Revealed: 1981-2022. ed. L. I. Levine, Z. Weiss, U. Leibner, Jerusalem, Israel Exploration Society, 2023: 11-19.
  6. 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).
  7. 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).
  8. 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.
  9. Mucznik, S. and Ovadiah, A. "The Meroth Mosaic Reconsidered" in Journal of Jewish Studies. 47,2, 1996: 286-293.
  10. Ilan, Z. "Meroth" The New Encyclopedia of Archeological Excavations in the Holy Land. 1993: 1028-1031.
Bibliographic citation of this page
Ben David, C. Osband, M. Aviam, M. Site: ‘Synagogues.Kinneret.ac.il’, The Bornblum Eretz Israel Website for the Study of Ancient Synagogues, accessed on 12 July 2025, https://synagogues.kinneret.ac.il/synagogues/meroth/

Photos:

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 is 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

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