There are rare mosaics that describe the story of Noah's Ark

Every year, beginning in 2011, archaeologists excavate in the synagogue of an ancient village in the Lower Galilee (one of the regions of Israel). Last month, a team of researchers, which included students and staff from four North American universities, made a stunning finding: two mosaic panels that depict the story of Noah's Ark. These panels are very rare in content and quality. They adorned the floor of the synagogue, which dates from the fifth century of our era - the late Roman period.

Images on mosaic panels

One of these mosaic panels tells the biblical story of Noah's Ark (from Genesis, chapters 6-9). It depicts pairs of lions, leopards, snakes, bears, elephants, ostriches, goats, sheep and other animals, and also shows the ark itself. Another panel vividly describes the Red Sea breakup (from Exodus 14:26), including how a large fish swallows Egyptian army soldiers, inverted chariots, and how horses and people are drowning.

Who leads the excavations

Last month, a team of archaeologists discovered these two magnificent mosaics on the nave of a synagogue located in the lower part of northern Israel's Galilee. These mosaics surfaced during the fifth season of excavation. Although the existence of the first mosaic became known in 2012, a year after the excavations began at this site. Currently, experts from the Israeli Antiquities Center, as well as students and teachers from the University of Baylor, North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Toronto and Brihem are taking part in this project.

Biblical scenes in the Jewish synagogue

It is known that the synagogue dates back to the 5th century AD, when this area was part of the Roman Empire. Archaeologists have previously found synagogues of the late Roman period with mosaic floors, and in some cases they even depicted scenes from the Bible. Nevertheless, it is these biblical scenes that are quite rare for the period described. In addition to their relatively good condition, ancient mosaics stand out for their high quality.

Archaeologists know only about two other scenes of the Red Sea flow, reflected in the ancient synagogues. One of the mosaics is in Syria. It is in good condition, however, there are no images of how the fish devour the Egyptian soldiers. The other is in Israel, but it is very fragmented and poorly preserved. The mosaic of Noah's Ark is also quite rare, similar to it was found only in Jeres, Turkey and Jordan.

Other finds

In 2012, excavated the first mosaic in this synagogue: a somewhat fragmentary image of the Biblical King Solomon, who places torches between the tails of foxes. There is also another mosaic depicting Solomon, which shows a warrior carrying the gates of Gaza on his shoulders.

The third mosaic, found in 2013-2014, depicts a meeting between two important figures - these are two men, one of which is accompanied by an entire army of soldiers and elephants. There is a suggestion that this is the legendary meeting between Alexander the Great and the Jewish high priest, and this is the only non-biblical scene ever found in the mosaic of the ancient synagogue.

All these early discoveries were made in the eastern aisle of the synagogue, and archaeologists were confident that they would find much more in the central part of the building. But after the excavation began, the group stumbled upon a mosaic that hid behind rocks and mud on the floor of the nave. As it turned out, the panel with the story of Noah's Ark "looked" to the north, people could see it when they entered the main door of the synagogue.

Found artifacts

In addition to a series of mosaics, archaeologists have found pottery and coins, the approximate age of which is 2300 years. The number of these finds gives an insight into the life of an ancient Jewish village. In particular, it can be said that it was prosperous enough to pay for erecting a place of worship and working with mosaics with which it is decorated. There is a widespread belief that Jewish communities suffered from the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire in the 4th century AD, and they refused to accept it. However, these findings are at variance with this point of view.

The excavation site is now closed to the public. The mosaics were removed to preserve, and the excavated plots were filled with tons of earth. Further excavation will continue next summer.