Shema

Other Name: Khorvat Shema

Religion: Jewish

Archaeological Evidences:

Period: Late Roman and/or Byzantine

Excavation: Excavated

Excavators: Eric Meyers, Thomas Kraabel and James Strange (1970-1972)

Main Finds: Lintel with Menorah

Site Condition: Within a nature reserve, open to the public

Geographic Details

Geographical Region: Upper Galilee

שביל ישראל, ישראל

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Selected Bibliography:

Selected Bibliography

Meyers, E. "Ḥurvat Shema' — The Settlement and the Synagogue" Qadmoniot: A Journal for the Antiquities of Eretz-Israel and Bible Lands 18(2), 1972: 58-61.
Strange, J.F. "Synagogue Typology and Khirbet Shema: A Response to Jodi Magness" in Judaism in Late Antiquity III; Where we Stand: issues and debates in Ancient Judaism. ed. A.J. Avery-Peck and J. Neusner, Vol. 4. The Special Problems of the Synagogue, Leiden, 2001: 71-78.
Meyers, E. M. and Kraabel, A. T Ancient Synagogue Excavations at Khirbet Shem'a; Upper Galiliee; 1970-1972. Durham, 1976.
Magness, J. "Synagogue Typology and Earthquake Chronology at Khirbet Shema; Israel" Journal of Field Archaeology 24;2, 1997: 211-220.
Meyers, E.M. "The Ancient Synagogue and Village at Khirbet Shema‘" in Galilee in the late Second Temple and Mishnaic periods. ed. D.A. Fiensy and J.R, Strange, Volume 2 The Archaeological Record from Cities, Towns, and Villages, Minneapolis, 2015: 414-423.
Meyers, E.M. "The Synagogue at Horvat Shema" in Ancient Synagogues Revealed. ed. L.I. Levine, Jerusalem, 1981: 70-75.
Meyers, E. "Shema" The New Encyclopedia of Archeological Excavations in the Holy Land. 1993: 1359-1361.
Spigel, C.S. Ancient Synagogue Seating Capacities. Tubingen, 2012: 101-113.

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 22 June 2025, https://synagogues.kinneret.ac.il/synagogues/shema/

Photos:

Photos

The Western entrance looking west, Gilead Peli all rights reserved © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>

The bema, looking south, Gilead Peli all rights reserved © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>

General view, Gilead Peli all rights reserved © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>

Meyers 1972: 59. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>

General View, Looking East | Meyers 1972: 59. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society

Meyers 1972: 60. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society. © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>

The Northern Entrance- Lintel with Menorah Leaning on the Doorposts | Meyers 1972: 60. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society.

Lintel with Menorah | Meyers 1972: 60. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society

The Reconstructed Synagogue- Looking South-West | Meyers 1972: 60. Courtesy of the Israel exploration Society

Meyers 1972: 61. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society © <i> synagogues.kinneret.ac.il </i>

The Western Entrance | Meyers 1972: 61. Courtesy of the Israel Exploration Society

Plans and Drawings:

Plans

Plan stone by stone. Meyers et. al. 1990:35. Courtesy of Eric Meyers

Isometric reconstruction. Meyers et. al. 1990:50. Courtesy of Eric Meyers

Reconstruction. Meyers et. al. 1990:59. Courtesy of Eric Meyers

Links:

Links

Ancient Synagogue Coins