The Early Roman Synagogue at Khirbet Qana

Khirbet Qana ("the ruins of Cana") is located in the center of lower Galillee, 7 km east of the ancient city of Sepphoris and 15 km west of Tiberius. The archaeological excavations that were initiated in 1997 have exposed a large building on the southwest quadrant of the acropolis. The building was composed of one large main hall (approximately 20 m x 15 m) that was connected to a small room (3 m x 5 m) on the northeast corner. In light of the building`s orientation and interior features, the building has been identified as a synagogue. Utilizing carbon-14 dating of mortar from foundation stones in addition to ceramic data, the founding date for the building has been established as late first, early second century CE. This paper describes the architectural elements of this building, locating it in the larger context of ancient synagogues in Roman Palestine and in light of the extensive excavations of other parts of the village, embedding it also in the village context.