The Naaran Synagogue

This synagogue bears witness to a 3^rd Century (Byzantine era) Jewish town at that place. The synagogue is relatively large, with a surface-area exceeding 100 sq. metres, as can be deduced from the dimensions of its mosaic.

The style is definitely Hellenistic, in stark contrast to the Shalom al Israel Synagogue) – built around the same period and also in Jericho. The mosaic’s centrepiece is a large fortune wheel with a sun-god riding his chariot at its centre, surrounded by the 12 signs of the zodiac. Four female figurines representing the four seasons adorn each of the mosaic’s four corners. The mosaic on each side of the Ahron Kodesh (the Holy Ark) has a Menorah and animal figures, including a representation of Daniel in the lion’s den.

Around the 6^th Century, the human representations were defaced by (it is assumed) the community itself, in order (it is assumed) to give the mosaic a character more in tune with Jewish tradition. Similar defacements are to be found in many other synagogues of the period, which also had Hellenistic-style mosaics.

The synagogue points to the south, and not to Jerusalem (The Holy Ark is on the southern end), probably in line with the town’s streets and buildings.

The town of Naaran

To the east of the synagogue, there are steps and signs of an ancient town, which has yet to be excavated.

The town of Naaran mentioned in the Bible was, most probably here. Naaran was a town in the territory of Efraim “It descended from Yanoach to Atarot and to Naaran (נערתה) converged at Jericho, and reached the Jordan river” (Joshua 16:7). The town of Naaran is also mentioned in the book of Chronicles “Their holdings and their dwelling places: Beit El and its villages, and to the east: Naaran, and to the west: Gezer and its villages, Shechem and its villages, up to Aya and its villages.” (Chronicles I, 7:28).

Naaran is mentioned in the Book of Kings II in an incident involving the prophet Elisha. The people of Jericho whose water springs were salty had to buy water from nearby Naaran at an inflated price. The prophet Elisha came to Jericho and sweetened their spring (today known as the Elisha spring adjacent to Tel Jericho), and on the way back to his home in the mountains of Samaria, passed through the town of Naaran (He probably exited Jericho from the north-west, passed Naaran and ascended towards the central Samarian mountain range via the present-day Highway 449). In the Biblical account, he is attacked by youths (Naarim in Hebrew). The commentator Rashi interprets "Naarim" as the inhabitants of Naaran, who lost their income. Naaran’s inhabitants were furious because the prophet Elisha had put an end to their commercial stranglehold of Jericho’s inhabitants:

“(19)The people of the city (of Jericho) said to Elisha, "Behold the city is a good place to live in, as my lord sees, but the water is bad and the land causes people to die. (20)He said, ‘Take me to a new jug and put salt in it,’ and they did so. (21)He went out to the source of the water and threw salt there; and said, ‘So has the Lord said, “I have cured these waters; there will no longer be death and bereavement from there.” ‘. (22) And the water became cured to this day, according to the word spoken by Elisha. (23)He then went up from there to Bethel,and while he was going up on the road, some small boys came out of the city (of Naaran) and jeered him, saying to him, ‘Go away, shaved-head; go away, shaved-head!’ ” (Kings II 2:19-22).

Rashi's comment on verse (23) above: "Go away shaved-head: Go away from here, because you shaved-off from us the place which was until now our source of income, for we used to bring to them (Jericho's inhabitants) fresh water from afar, and this was our income. When you sweetened their water, we lost our income – as is explained in (the Gemara tractate of) Sotah".

An artillery shell, which landed on the site in 1918, during the closing phases of the First World War, exposed the synagogue’s mosaic floor – the first full mosaic floor discovered in the Land of Israel.

The site was excavated by the School of Bible & Archaeology, run by the Dominican Monastery of Jerusalem.

Following this discovery, sections of the mosaic, including dedications in Aramaic, and a representation of the Holy Arc and branched candelabras, were removed to the Dominican School of Biblical Studies in Jerusalem – today, the French School of Biblical Studies & Archaeology of the Saint Antoine Monastery.

Two of the inscriptions are today exhibited in the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem, and other sections of the mosaic are at Oxford University in the UK.

Since after the archaeological digs, the place was again covered with earth, the synagogue’s mosaic was rediscovered during the 6-day war, when an Israeli soldier pitched his tent on the buried mosaic.

Part of this article is based on Daniel Ventura's wiki page on the Naaran Synagogue 

The Oslo Accords

After the Oslo Accords, the Jewish Life in Jericho Association was founded, with the objective of defending Jewish rights in the city of Jericho, and the continuation of prayers and activities in the city, including in the Naaran Synagogue. Despite initial opposition from the Israeli Government, the Israel Army secured the Association’s activities in Jericho.

A yeshiva was founded in the Shalom al Israel Synagogue, under the presidency of Rav Yitzchak Ginsburgh Shalit”a, and Rav Yossi Peli, who actually taught there, coming daily from Itzhar (in the Samarian mountains) with his students. Sabbaths were held in the restaurant which was adjacent to the Naaran Synagogue.

Implements and utensils were brought from the storeroom in the Shalom al Israel Synagogue, and the students used to dip in the pool near the Naaran Synagogue, until the Department for Settlement gave the Association a tract of land near Yitav, which is today the community of Mevoot Yericho.

After Arab terrorists surrounded the members of the Association in the restaurant one Saturday during 1999, they stopped using this restaurant as a base for their stay in Naaran, and were given the Noam military camp, which had been recently decommissioned by the Israeli Army.

The return to Jericho after the year 2000 Arab attacks (Intifada)

For nine years, from the Arab attacks in the year 2000, until the year 2009, hardly a Jew visited Jericho.

Then gradually prayers and visits were organised in the Shalom al Israel synagogue, and Rav Dr Yoel Elitzur organised prayers in the Naaran synagogue every Friday morning, accessing the synagogue from the fields of Mevoot Yericho, immediately to the north.

Today, tours of the Naaran synagogue are organised almost every Friday, following the Shaharith prayer in the Shalom al Israel Synagogue and a tour of Tel Jericho and the Elisha Spring.

On Jewish Holidays (Pessah and Succoth intermediate days and the 8 days of Hanukkah) comprehensive tours of Jericho, which include the Naaran Synagogue, are also organised).

Today, tours of the Naaran synagogue are organised almost every Friday, following the Shaharith prayer in the Shalom al Israel Synagogue and a tour of Tel Jericho and the Elisha Spring.

On Jewish Holidays (Pessah and Succoth intermediate days and the 8 days of Hanukkah) comprehensive tours of Jericho, which include the Naaran Synagogue, are also organised).

Here are some pictures of past events: