The Ancient Synagogue of Beth Alpha

The Beth Alpha synagogue mosaic is one of the most striking examples of ancient Jewish art ever uncovered. Excavated in 1929 by E. L. Sukenik on behalf of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, this mosaic provoked an immediate sensation among scholars and lay people throughout Jewish Palestine, Europe and America. Located in Israel's Jezreel Valley, this remarkable mosaic preserves images of the Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22), of a zodiac wheel flanked by personifications of the seasons that was labeled in Hebrew, and of a Torah shrine flanked by menorahs and lions.

The discovery of the Beth Alpha synagogue mosaic was a milestone in the development of scholarly and popular consciousness of the significance of ancient Jewish art within Jewish and Zionist culture and within the Greco-Roman context. Sukenik's masterful and beautifully produced final report is of abiding scholarly value, and will intrigue all who take an interest in Jewish history, art and culture. The Ancient Synagogue of Beth Alpha was originally published in separate Hebrew and English editions. This Gorgias Press reprint combines both versions into a single volume. It includes an original introduction to Sukenik's scholarship on ancient synagogues by Steven Fine, which is illustrated with historical photographs.