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Dates Excavated:
1998-2004
Excavator(s):
Zvi Uri Ma’oz and Chaim Ben-David
Archaeological Information: /
Date of Building Construction:
Phase I: mid-6th century[642]
Phase II: late 6th century[643]
Place of Building in Settlement:
On a slope, halfway between the top of the village ruins and a spring in the valley. [644]
Building Description:
The synagogue is an east-west hall with two rows of four columns in an east-west direction. The building had at least two phases in the Byzantine period:[645]
Phase I: The synagogue had two entrances to the building on the east side. Three rows of benches lined all the walls except between the Torah shrine and the southeast corner on the south wall.[646] Nine steps were found along the northern wall, which could have led to an upper gallery. The floor that currently occupies the eastern side might belong to this phase.[647] At the south edge of this side of the hall, the pavement does not reach the outer edge of a small “wall” that runs parallel to the south wall of the synagogue. This gap in the floor might indicate the existence of benches here in the first Phase, which were replaced by a “wall.” The “wall” does not serve any structural function and the excavators have suggested it was a bemah.
Phase II: a semi-circular apse was added to the west side of the southern wall with a diameter of 1.95 m and extending out of the wall for about 1.25 m. The floor of this niche consisted of 5 cm thick solid plaster and had a small (25 cm diameter) impression of a column, perhaps a base for a menorah or decoration for a Torah shrine. A platform was constructed in front of this apse, perhaps as the base for a wooden staircase going up to the apse.[648] At the interior right-hand corner of the apse was a tiny cabinet; as the cabinet was found empty, its function is unknown.[649] At this point, the synagogue had only one door in the eastern wall, slightly off center to the north. The stone slabs currently occupying the western side of the synagogue hall probably belonged to this phase.[650]
Maps and Plans
Other Materials
Copyright-Protected Materials (logged-in members only)
First Deposit
Date Excavated: 2004
Deposit Location:
Next to the benches along the northern wall of the synagogue, in the western half of the building.
Archaeological Information:
Phase 1 of the synagogue building, Locus 175 (Basket 2002)
Certain association with the building itself? Yes
Deposit Retrievable? Unknown
Deposit Type: I?4
Deposit Description:
In some areas of the western side of the synagogue’s main hall no floor flagstones survived.[651] Thus, the excavators decided to dig below the floor level in these areas. In a trench dug next to the benches along the northern wall of the building, between the second northern column from the west and the northern bench, 2027 bronze coins were discovered as a group in a small, hewn pit covered by stone slabs.[652] The pit reached a depth of about 0.95 m below the floor level and was sealed off from the layer above it (which also contained coins; Deposit 3) by the stone blocks. Possibly, the deposit belonged to the first phase of the synagogue building.[653] This was the only pit covered by stones found in the building. Since the stone paving of the first synagogue was not preserved, it is unknown if the deposit could have been accessed by the users of the building.[654]
Container Present? No
Description of Coins:
The coins from this deposit were never published in full, but a preliminary report can be found in Nili Ahipaz’s MA thesis of 2015.[655] According to her, 504 of the 2027 coins were legible.[656] Of those, 2% were Roman, 92% date to the 4th century, and 6% could be dated to the 5th century.[657]
In the fall of 2019, Ahipaz gave me two lists of coins coming from L175, for a total of (only) 301 coins. Each list represented a different basket from in L175: one of them contained coins from Basket 1997 and the other from Basket 2002. This divide was made by Yehoshua Dray, the excavator of the coins, creating two groups: the coins found in Basket 2002 were discovered deeper in the ground than the coins in Basket 1997. However, after excavation it was determined that all these coins probably belonged to the same deposit, and they have been treated as one group in all further publications. In this dissertation project, the 301 identified coins provided by Ahipaz have been included (so 1726 coins have not been identified). However, none of these coins has been analyzed in full; we are not informed, for example, about the size, weight, axis, and obverse and reverse descriptions of most of the coins. The full publication rights still lie with Zvi Ma’oz, Chaim Ben-David, and Nili Ahipaz.
Fig. 5 summarizes the coins from Deir ‘Aziz, Locus 175. The coins range in date between 250-300 CE (Valerian) and 457-474 CE (Leo I).[658] Of the 301 coins, 1 comes from the 3rd century (250-300 CE (Valerian)), 208 are from the 4th century (69%), and 92 from the 5th century (30.5%). No coins of the 6th century could be identified, making this deposit older than the other coins deposits found at the site.
Most of the coins come from eastern mints (predominantly Antioch), with the exception of one coin dated to 316 CE (Constantine I) from Arles and one coin coming from Rome dated to 314 CE (Constantine I). One coin has been identified as a “Vandalic” imitation coin, dated to 408-498 CE: this coin is not mentioned in the MA thesis. On the other hand, the MA thesis mentions another coin that was not found in the lists (and thus has not been included here): a small issue bearing an image of Anastasius I, dated to 491-518 CE.
Other Images
Conspectus Table:
Conspectus table Deir 'Aziz, Deposit 1. This table can be seen in full screen by clicking the icon on the bottom right. For more details on the specific coins in each row, please hover over the numbers.
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Second Deposit
Date Excavated: 1998-2003
Deposit Location:
In the interstices of the southern wall of the synagogue.
Archaeological Information:
Phase 2 of the synagogue building, Locus 129.
Certain association with the building itself? Yes
Deposit Retrievable? Yes
Deposit Type: IIA4
Deposit Description:
14 gold coins were found in a pottery juglet without a neck in the dirt fill in the interstices of the repaired south wall of the synagogue.[659] This is the eastern area where the pavement was missing, in front of the “wall-bemah.” In this gap, broken molded and decorated architectural fragments were also found, as well as fragments of a decorated arch with a Greek inscription. Ma’oz labels this deposit as part of an architectural genizah.[660] The juglet thus was discovered in an unsealed context. Perhaps it had been placed in the foundation for the benches in the first phase, and in the area for a portable bemah in the second phase of the synagogue building.[661]
Container Present? Yes: a pottery juglet without a neck
Description of Coins:
This deposit of 14 gold solidi was published in 2007 by Nili Ahipaz. All the coins were dated to Justinian I (527-565 CE) and were minted in Constantinople.[662] The coins are classified into three chronological types: coins from the beginning of the reign of Justinian I (527-538 CE), coins dated to the middle of Justinian I’s reign (538-545 CE), and coins dated to the latter part of Justinian I’s reign (545-565 CE or 542-565 CE). The coins are well preserved, but a large number (coins 1, 3-4, 6, 8-9, 13-14) appear to have been intentionally bent, possibly to check the quality of the gold. All coins are the same VICTORIA AVCCC-type. Although all the coins come from the same mint, no die links could be discerned, indicating a collection over a longer period. The weight of the coins ranges from 4.26 grams to 4.51 grams, with an average of 4.37 grams.[663]
The deposit was stored at the IAA as a group under number 2008-511. The juglet was also kept, and pictures of it can be found in the IAA database under numbers B-125565 and B-125566.
Coins
Conspectus Table:
Conspectus table Deir 'Aziz, Deposit 2. This table can be seen in full screen by clicking the icon on the bottom right. For more details on the specific coins in each row, please hover over the numbers.
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Third Deposit
Date Excavated: 1998-2003
Deposit Location:
In front of the niche in the southern wall.
Archaeological Information:
Phase 2 of the synagogue building, Locus 134
Certain association with the building itself? Yes
Deposit Retrievable? No
Deposit Type: IB6
Deposit Description:
234 coins were found in a deposit next to the niche that was probably intended for the Torah ark in the southern wall.[664] The coins were spread out over the surface and were found down to a depth of about 1 meter inside the floor foundation.[665]
Container Present? No
Description of Coins:
The coins from this deposit have not yet been published in full but are being prepared by Nili Ahipaz. A preliminary report of this deposit was given in her 2015 MA thesis in which she analyzed 104 legible coins. According to her, the deposit consists of low-denomination bronze coins, some dated to the fourth century (18%), most to the fifth (53%), and the latest to the mid-sixth century (24%). [666] In the fall of 2019, Ahipaz gave me a partial, preliminary list of analyzed coins coming from Locus 134. In this list, 223 coins were identified, giving us a larger collection of coins than in her MA thesis.
Fig. 7 summarizes the 234 coins from Deir ‘Aziz, Locus 134. In this new report, the dates of 92 coins were given. From this, it can be calculated that 14% of the coins are dated to the 4th century, 38% to the 5th century, and 43.5% to the 6th century. The latest coin is dated to “498-700” CE and is identified as a possible lead coin. Two other coins are dated to 527-565 CE (Justinian I). This deposit thus has the same terminus post quem as the gold coin hoard also found at the site. Distinctive here are two coins of Alexander Jannaeus (dated 80-76 BCE) and a Roman provincial coin from the third century CE minted by Alexander Severus in Bosra. 21 coins have been indicated as cast coins, dated generally to 450-550 CE. One coin (Basket 1817/2) was cast in an octagonal shape.
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Conspectus Table:
Conspectus table Deir 'Aziz, Deposit 3. This table can be seen in full screen by clicking the icon on the bottom right. For more details on the specific coins in each row, please hover over the numbers.
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Fourth Deposit
Date Excavated: 1998-2003
Deposit Location:
Next to the northern pillars and benches, in the western half of the building.
Archaeological Information:
Phase 2 of the synagogue building, Locus 138
Certain association with the building itself? Yes
Deposit Retrievable? No
Deposit Type: IB6
Deposit Description:
348 coins were found in a deposit in the western half of the synagogue, next to the northern pillars and benches, about a meter above the pit containing the 2027 coins (deposit 1).[667] The coins were spread out over the surface and this “coin layer” was close to the surface of the floor pavement.[668]
Container Present? No
Description of Coins:
The coins from this deposit have not yet been published in full but are being prepared by Nili Ahipaz. A preliminary report of this deposit was given in her 2015 MA thesis in which she analyzed 50 legible coins. In this thesis, she states that a total of 343 coins was found, but this turned out to be a typographical error: an actual total of 348 coins was found in the deposit. According to her preliminary analysis, the deposit consists of low-denomination bronze coins, with 62% of the coins dated to the 4th century, 10% to the 5th century, and 26% dated to the 6th century.[669] In 2019, Ahipaz gave me a partial, preliminary list of analyzed coins coming from Locus 138. In this list, 348 coins were identified, giving us more information on the coins than in her MA thesis, however only the dates of 51 coins could be read.[670] The earliest coin dates to 54 CE and was minted in Jerusalem in the days of Felix, the procurator under Claudius. The latest coins are two gold tremisses dated to 527-565 CE (Justinian I), forming a chronological bridge between Deposit 2 and Deposit 3 from the site. An interesting find in this deposit is a possible Axumite coin depicting a “Maltese cross” in a circle, dated to 450-550 CE. When breaking down the dates of the deposit, 35% of the coins are from the 4th century, 35% from the 5th century, and 27% from the 6th century. 4 coins were minted in Antioch, 4 in Carthage, 8 in Constantinople, and 1 in Jerusalem.
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Conspectus Table:
Conspectus table Deir 'Aziz, Deposit 4. This table can be seen in full screen by clicking the icon on the bottom right. For more details on the specific coins in each row, please hover over the numbers.
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References
Bibliography:
– Oliphant L., 1886, “New Discoveries,” in: Palestine Exploration Fund. Quarterly Statement, January 1886, pp. 77-78
– Chiat M., 1982, Handbook of Synagogue Architecture, Chico: Scholars Press, pp. 286-287
– Ilan Z., 1991, Ancient Synagogues in Israel, Tel Aviv: Ministry of Defence, pp. 81-82 (Hebrew)
– Ma’oz Z., 1995, Ancient Synagogues in the Golan, Art and Architecture, Qazrin: Golan Archaeological Museum, pp. 149-152 (Hebrew)
– Urman D., 1995, “Public Structures and Jewish Communities in the Golan Heights,” in: Urman D. & Flesher P. (eds.), Ancient Synagogues: Historical Analysis and Archaeological Discovery, Vol. 2, Leiden: Brill, pp. 541-545
– Ma’oz Z. & Ben-David C., 2003, “Deir ‘Aziz 2000-2001,” in: Hadashot Arkheologiyot, Vol. 115, pp. 10-11
– Ma’oz Z. & Ben-David C., 2006, “New Finds in the Golan: A Synagogue at Deir Aziz,” in: Qadmoniyot, Vol. 39, pp. 25-31 (Hebrew)
– Ahipaz N., 2007, “A Hoard of Byzantine Solidi from the Deir ʿAziz Synagogue,” in: Israel Numismatic Research, Vol. 2, pp. 157-165
– Ben-David C., 2007, “Golan Gem: The Ancient Synagogue of Deir Aziz,” in: Biblical Archaeology Review, Vol. 33, No. 6, pp. 44-51
– Ma’oz Z. & Ben-David C., 2008, “Deir ‘Aziz,” in: NEAEHL, Supplemental Volume, pp. 1691-1692
– Ma’oz Z., 2011, Deir Aziz and Kanaf: the Architecture of Two Ancient Synagogues, Qazrin: Archaostyle, pp. 5-54
– Spigel C., 2012, Ancient Synagogue Seating Capacities: Methodology, Analysis and Limits, Mohr Siebeck, pp. 185-188
– Ahipaz N., 2013, “Floor Foundation Coin Deposits in Byzantine-Period Synagogues,” in: Hoards and Genizot as Chapters in History, Haifa: Hecht Museum University of Haifa, pp. 63-70
– Hachlili R., 2013, Ancient Synagogues: Archaeology and Art: New Discoveries and Current Research, Leiden: Brill, pp. 111-112, 186-187, 544-545, 584, 597
– Maoz Z., 2013, “The Genizah in the Deir Aziz Synagogue on the Golan Heights,” in: Hoards and Genizot as Chapters in History, Haifa: Hecht Museum University of Haifa, pp. 70-75
– Ahipaz N., 2015, The Custom of the Ritual Burial of Coins in Synagogues, MA thesis (Hebrew)
– Ahipaz, Nili and Uzi Leibner, 2021,“Floor Deposits in Ancient Synagogues,” in: Zion, Vol. 86, No. 2, pp. 211-230 (Hebrew)
– Zingboym, O and Ben-David C., forthcoming, “Deir ‘Aziz – Ancient Synagogue,” in: Lee I Levine et al. (eds.), Ancient Synagogues Revealed, Vol. 2
Website(s):
– The Bornblum Eretz Israel Synagogues Website:
http://synagogues.kinneret.ac.il/synagogues/deir-aziz/
– Hadashot Arkheologiyot, Vol. 123 (2011):
http://www.hadashot-esi.org.il/report_detail_eng.aspx?id=1830
Footnotes
[641] I am grateful to Zvi Ma’oz, Chaim Ben-David, and Nili Ahipaz for helping me collect more information on this site. All were generous with their time, not only sharing their stories from the excavations with me, but also providing me with additional photos, maps, and even lists of coin analyses.
[642] Ma’oz and Chaim 2008, p. 1691 and Ma’oz 2011, p. 46 based on the coins found in the foundations (see below). However, this date has now been challenged by Oren Zingboym and Chaim Ben-David, based on renewed excavations at the site in 2014-2016 (Ahipaz and Leibner 2021, p. 217: this new interpretation will be published in: Oren Zingboym and Chaim Ben David, “Deir ‘Aziz – Ancient Synagogue”, in: Ancient Synagogues Revealed, Vol. 2, Levine L. et al. (eds.) (in preparation)). The new theory is that the foundation of the basilica should be dated to the fourth century CE (perhaps to the years 358-368 CE, based on a Greek inscription that was found on fragments of a decorated arch that belonged to the Torah shrine and has been interpreted as representing the number of years since the destruction of the Second Temple (Ben-David 2007, p. 49)). This inscription has not been published yet.
[643] Ma’oz 2011, p. 47: based on the 14 gold coins found in the juglet buried in front of the “wall”/bemah (Deposit 2, see below). Ahipaz calls this building Stage 4 in her MA thesis, or the third phase of the building in her 2021 article: possible restorations after the earthquake of 551 CE (Ahipaz 2015, p. 33; Ahipaz and Leibner 2021, p. 218). This date is based on the coin deposits found in the foundations of the floor in the western part of the building (Deposits 3 and 4, see below).
[644] Ma’oz and Ben-David 2008, p. 1691. This building was already discovered by Sir Laurence Oliphant, who visited the site with a Bedouin guide in 1885 (Oliphant 1886, pp. 76-77). It was surveyed by Urman who found the building robbed of stones to serve as construction material for the nearby Arab-Syrian village and again by Ma’oz in 1979 (Ma’oz 2011, p. 5).
[645] Hachlili 2013, p. 113: Hachlili summarize the six different Phases in the synagogue building’s history in total, as well as an earlier synagogue that was built on the same spot in the mid-4th century: “Phases 1–2 served as a synagogue in the 6th–7th centuries CE; in Phase 3 parts of the building, especially the columns, were destroyed by the earthquake of 749; Phase 4 shows the rebuilding of the structure in the end of the 8th or beginning of the 9th centuries CE and it still served then as a synagogue, according to Ben David, while Maʿoz suggests that the structure was turned into a church or monastery in the 8th century CE (Maʿoz and Ben David 2006, p. 27). The last two Phases (5 and 6) continued in use, with various building changes, until the first half of the 20th century.”
[646] Ma’oz 2011, p. 24-25 suggests that the benches were made of spolia and were retrieved from an earlier synagogue in the village or from a synagogue in a nearby village.
[647] Ahipaz and Leibner 2021, p. 218.
[648] Ma’oz 2011, p. 29.
[649] As far as I could tell, no excavation has been conducted underneath the plaster floor of the stone pavers of this apse.
[650] Ahipaz and Leibner 2021, p. 218.
[651] It should be noted that five stone slabs were also removed from the eastern half of the synagogue, but except for one worn and unidentifiable coin, no coins were found in the eastern part of the main hall (Ahipaz 2015, p. 14, p.31; Ahipaz and Leibner 2021, p. 216).
[652] Ahipaz 2013, p. 64.
[653] Or to an additional phase preceding the second phase (Ahipaz and Leibner 2021, p. 218).
[654] During later excavations at the site in (2014-2015, directed by Oren Zingboym as part of the preparation of the site to open it to the public) another 12 coins, similar in shape and size were found in this pit (Ahipaz 2015, p. 16). These coins were not cleaned yet when Nili Ahipaz wrote her MA thesis on the Deir ‘Aziz coins in 2015 and they have, as far as I know, still not been published. I have tried several times to contact Oren Zingboym to get more information on these coins, but never heard back from him.
[655] Ahipaz 2015, pp. 22-25. Ahipaz told me that she is still working on the full publication.
[656] Ahipaz and Leibner 2021, p. 216, however, states that 514 coins are legible.
[657] Ahipaz 2013, p. 64.
[658] Ahipaz 2015 and Ahipaz and Leibner 2021 also mention a coin minted by Agrippa II in Tiberias in 84/85 CE, but this coin could not be found in the lists provided. Ahipaz writes “It is possible that this coin was in circulation for a long time, and integrated in the coin circulation of the 4th century CE because of its shape and size.” It is unclear what happened to this coin or if it should still be included in this locus.
[659] Ahipaz 2007, pp. 157-158. In 2011, Ma’oz mentions only 11 coins found in this juglet. However, since Ahipaz identified 14 coins in her report and Ma’oz affirms in his 2013 article that there were 14 coins, Ma’oz’s number in his 2011 article should be understood as an error.
[660] Ma’oz and Ben-David 2008, pp. 1692-1693; Ma’oz 2013, pp. 71-72. In this last article, Ma’oz says that the “collection of architectural objects were buried beneath the bimah on which the Torah was read.” He describes this (fixed) bemah as an elongated surface measuring 1.25 X 6.50 meters, demarcated by a row of stones, with just one course of stones on the floor, parallel to the southern wall. Besides the juglet, a decorated piece of an aedicula was discovered with a Greek inscription on it.
[661] Ahipaz 2007, p. 158: Ahipaz believes that the area where the bench was not preserved could have been the foundations for a portable bemah. Placed this way, the bemah would create an architectural symmetry with the Torah niche in the north wall. Whenever the portable bemah would be moved, the juglet underneath would become accessible. If true, then this would be a unique indication of a movable bemah in a synagogue space. We are familiar with portable Torah shrines, or chests (תֵּבָה, tevah), from the early Tannaic writings (m. Meg. 4:3; Levine 2000, pp. 351-356), but we are less informed on movable bemot. Perhaps it was a wooden stage that could be brought in, or moved around, as mentioned in Neh 8:2.
[662] Ahipaz 2007, pp. 158-159. All coins have a CONOB mint-mark. Three coins show graffito marks, but their meaning is unknown. Graffiti on coins found in hoards became more common in the 2nd half of the 7th century (Bijovsky 2002, pp. 178-180).
[663] Bijovsky 2002, p. 178: Most scholars agree that the theoretical weight of the Byzantine solidus of 4.55 grams was generally not taken into consideration. 4.37 grams is a measurement that arrived from the Attic drachm, which was also 4.37 grams, and was used as a standard to control the weight of gold coins in circulation.
[664] Ahipaz 2013, p. 64; Ahipaz 2015, p. 17.
[665] Personal communication Zvi Ma’oz. He calls this layer just below the floor pavement a “carpet” of coins.
[666] Ahipaz 2015, p. 23; Ahipaz and Leibner 2021, p. 216.
[667] Ahipaz 2013, p. 64 mentions 345 coins, while her 2015 MA thesis mentions 343 coins. However, the coin list that Ahipaz provided me with during my stay in Israel gave information on 348 coins. After a short conversation with Ahipaz it became clear that the 345 and 343 coins were typographical errors and the real number of coins is 348.
[668] Personal communication Zvi Ma’oz and Chaim Ben-David. Ma’oz calls this layer just below the floor pavement a “carpet” of coins. Ben-David mentioned that although also some stones were removed from the eastern half of the synagogue, no coins were found there! Thus, all the coins found as a carpet under the floor level were limited to the western half of the building.
[669] Ahipaz 2015, p. 22.
[670] In her list, Ahipaz indicates one coin (Basket 1356) as “No currency!” This might indicate that this object is in fact not a coin, and that we only have 347 coins. The article by Ahipaz and Leibner mentions 343 coins of which 52 were identifiable (Ahipaz and Leibner 2021, p. 216). The final publication should give us more insight in this.