The Dura-Europos synagogue is unique among the many ancient synagogues that have emerged from archaeological digs in that it was preserved virtually intact, and for its extensive figurative paintings. It is one of the oldest synagogues in the world. Discovered in 1932 at Dura-Europos, in modern Syria the last phase of construction was dated by an Aramaic inscription to 244 CE. The synagogue contains a forecourt and house of assembly with painted ...
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The Dura-Europos synagogue is unique among the many ancient synagogues that have emerged from archaeological digs in that it was preserved virtually intact, and for its extensive figurative paintings. It is one of the oldest synagogues in the world. Discovered in 1932 at Dura-Europos, in modern Syria the last phase of construction was dated by an Aramaic inscription to 244 CE. The synagogue contains a forecourt and house of assembly with painted walls depicting people and animals, and a Torah shrine in the western wall facing Jerusalem. The frescoes are now displayed in the National Museum of Damascus. Because of these frescoes, the synagogue was at first mistaken for a Greek temple.
Before the final Persian assault on the town, parts of the synagogue which abutted the main city wall were apparently requisitioned and filled with sand as a defensive measure, which accounts for its survival in such good condition. Some of the paintings had their eyes scratched out, especially those...
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