Andriake Synagogue | |
---|---|
Religion | |
Affiliation | Judaism (former) |
Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue (ruins) |
Status | Archaeological site |
Location | |
Location | Andriake, Demre |
Country | Turkey |
Location of the former synagogue ruins in modern-day Turkey | |
Geographic coordinates | 36°14′50″N29°58′58″E / 36.247223°N 29.982779°E |
Architecture | |
Type | Synagogue architecture |
Style | Roman architecture |
Completed | 3rd century CE |
Materials | Stone |
[1] |
The Andriake Synagogue is a former ancient Jewish synagogue, that was discovered in Andriake, an ancient city in the historical region of Lycia, in Asia Minor. The building, that is now an archaeological site, was found in the town of Demre in the Antalya province, on the southwestern tip of modern-day Turkey. [2]
The synagogue is placed on a hilltop overlooking Andriake's harbor. The site is located in the former major port city of Myra, which was the capital of the Lycian civilization. [2]
The synagogue was discovered in 2009 by Dr. Nevzat Çevik's team of archeologists from Akdeniz University. It is the first archaeological finding of Jewish culture in Lycia. [3] As of 2010, a total of 282 objects were uncovered in the synagogue. Most of these objects were Hellenistic pottery, but the findings also included objects like a marble tablet featuring a menorah flanked by a Shofar and a bugle on one side and a palm tree and lemon tree on the other, [2] and a 4th-century oil lamp. [4] The stonework and carvings found in the building included a menorah and the words "Israel" and "Amen". [4] [2]
After the site was cleaned, it was discovered that apart from the apse, very little of the walls survived and the flooring was damaged. Many finds were discovered on the floor of the apse, mostly from the Hellenistic and Roman periods but not later than the Early Byzantine period. [4]
The Akdeniz University team believes the temple is from around the third century. [3] It is thought that the synagogue was abandoned shortly after the panels of the chancel screen fell in front of the apse.
The building had a rectangular main hall, measuring 7.25 by 5.08 m (23.8 by 16.7 ft), which was connected to two rooms adjoining on the south/southwest. [4] It had two entrances, one in the west and one in the north. [2] It is believed that the Torah ark on the floor of the apse area was separated from the main area by a chancel screen. The apse area and the main hall were built at different times. [4]
The menorah is a seven-branched candelabrum that is described in the Hebrew Bible and in later ancient sources as having been used in the Tabernacle and in the Temple in Jerusalem.
Myra was a Lycian city, then captured by Ancient Greece and lived under their rule, then the Roman Empire and then the Ottoman in Lycia, which became the small Turkish town of Kale, renamed Demre in 2005, in the present-day Antalya Province of Turkey. It was founded on the river Myros, in the fertile alluvial plain between Alaca Dağ, the Massikytos range and the Aegean Sea.
Tlos was an ancient Lycian city near the modern town of Seydikemer in the Mugla Province of southern Turkey, some 4 kilometres northwest of Saklıkent Gorge.
Demre is a municipality and district of Antalya Province, Turkey. Its area is 329 km2, and its population is 27,691 (2022). It was named after the river Demre.
Sidyma, was a town of ancient Lycia, at what is now the small village of Dudurga Asari in Muğla Province, Turkey. It lies on the southern slope of Mount Cragus, to the north-west of the mouth of the Xanthus.
Rhodiapolis, also known as Rhodia (Ῥοδία) and Rhodiopolis (Ῥοδιόπολις), was a city in ancient Lycia. Today it is located on a hill northwest of the modern town Kumluca in Antalya Province, Turkey.
Beth Alpha is a sixth-century CE synagogue located at the foot of the northern slopes of the Gilboa mountains near Beit She'an, Israel. It is now part of Bet Alfa Synagogue National Park and managed by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority.
Tzippori Synagogue is an ancient synagogue discovered in Sepphoris, a Roman-era Jewish city in the Galilee, now an archaeological site and a national park in Israel.
The Migdal Synagogue or Magdala Synagogue is the name used for the first of two ancient synagogues discovered at the ancient city of Magdala in Israel, close to the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Both synagogues were in use in the Second Temple period, which places them among the oldest synagogues found in Israel.
The Maon Synagogue is a 6th-century synagogue and archaeological site located in the Negev Desert near Kibbutz Nirim and Kibbutz Nir Oz. It is noted for its "magnificent" mosaic floor.
Hammath Tiberias or Hammat Tiberias is an ancient archaeological site and an Israeli national park known as Hamat Tverya National Park, which is located on the adjacent to Tiberias on the road to Zemach that runs along the shore of the Sea of Galilee.
Trebenna (Τρεβέννα) or Trabenna (Τραβέννα) was a city in ancient Lycia, at the border with Pamphylia, and at times ascribed to that latter region. Its ruins are located east of the modern town Çağlarca in the Konyaaltı district of Antalya Province, Turkey. The site lies 22 km to the west of Antalya.
Idebessos or Idebessus, also known as Edebessus or Edebessos or, was an ancient city in Lycia. It was located at the foot of the Bey Mountains to the west of the Alakır river valley. Today its ruins are found a short distance to the west of the small village of Kozağacı in the Kumluca district of Antalya Province, Turkey. The site, 21 kilometres north-northwest of Kumluca, is overgrown with forest and hard to reach.
Kitanaura was an ancient city in Lycia. Its ruins are located near Saraycık, a small village in the Kumluca district of Antalya Province, Turkey.
The Magdala stone is a carved stone block unearthed by archaeologists in the Migdal Synagogue in Israel, dating to before the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in the year 70.
Lycae or Lykai was a town of ancient Lycia, located 60 stadia (11 km) from Kitanaura.
Marmara was a town of ancient Lycia, whose inhabitants put up a ferocious defense to Alexander the Great during his invasion. The name does not appear in history, but the ethnonym is cited by Diodorus Siculus. The town's territory is called Mnarike in the Stadiasmus Patarensis, implying a town name of Mnara.
Kelbessos was a fortified settlement of ancient Lycia, in the territory of Termessos. It was continually inhabited by a military garrison from Hellenistic to Roman times.
The Split Synagogue is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue, located in Split, Croatia. Built in the early 1500s, the synagogue is one of the oldest Sefardic synagogues in use today.
Ancient Jewish art, is art created by Jews in both the Land of Israel and in the Diaspora prior to the Middle Ages. It features symbolic or figurative motifs often influenced by biblical themes, religious symbols, and the dominant cultures of the time, including Egyptian, Hellenistic, and Roman art.
Media related to Andriake synagogue at Wikimedia Commons