lintel. Photograph of: Gush Halav Synagogue

Description: The synagogue consists of a rectangular north south hall, an attached coridor on the west, two storage rooms on the east, and a space on the north used according meyers as a gallery for extra seating. The main entrance is located in the southern facade, facing Jerusalem. A small outer stair way led to a second entrance in the north western corner. The hall is divided by two rows of four columns, with Ionic capitals into a nave and two aisles. The bema located in the south west corner. Benches were attached to the western wall. The bench along the north wall is actually a step to the gallery platform. Addenda: NO : An. ML : 13.75m MWI : 10.6-11m MAT : Lime stone Ashlar block Carved RG : R.B.A. 1994 HIS : Gush Halav is about 8km northwest of Safed, in the Galilee. It was mentioned in the Mishnah as fortified city from the time of Joshua. Its wall was rebuilt when Josephus fortified many cities and villages in the Galilee (war II,575, 590;life 185), the city surrendered without a fight in 67 CE. (war IV, 92-120). Jhoan of Gischala come frome the city. According to Jerom Gischala was the home of paul's perents. In the Talmud Gusu Halav is mentioned as a produser of fine olive oil (war II,591-592;life,74-75;tosefta men.9:5;B.T, men 85b). Renan A., Wilson C., Guerin V. visited the site in the ninetheeth century. Kohl H. and Watzinger C. survyed the site (1906). Excavation were carried out at the site under the auspices of the American Schools of Oriental Research under the direction of E.M. Meyers In the synagogue there were four phases, dated acoording numismatic and ceramics matirial, and considering the earthquake tooking place in this erea. The first phase is dated to 250-306 CE. The second phase is dated to 306-363 CE, The third phase was builted again after the great erthquake and is dated to 363-460. The forth phase is dated to 460-551. BIB : Meyers E.M.- in E.O.E: 547-550. REM : The first building was undoutably the most ambitious. The second build