Beit Alfa Synagogue

About

The Bet Alfa Synagogue National Park is centered around the ruins of a 6th century synagogue. The ruins were uncovered in 1928 when members of the nearby Kibbutz Hefzibah stumbled upon it during irrigation construction. The building remains suggest it was two stories tall, and consisted of a courtyard, corridor, rectangular main hall, second-story balcony, and another room. The site is famous for the large mosaics that cover the central hall. The first, laid in front of the Torah Shrine, is a graphical depiction of the shrine’s importance, with lions and ritual objects surrounding a gabled shrine. Below this is a Jewish adaptation of the Grecco-Roman zodiac, with the months and seasons surrounding Helios, the Sun God. The third mosaic shows the “Binding of Isaac”, capturing the moment that God stayed Abraham’s hand, instructing him to sacrifice a nearby ram instead.