Ein Gedi
Ein
Gedi is an oasis on the western shore of the Dead
Sea, the lowest
point on earth, some 400 m. below sea level. Extreme heat and aridity
prevail in this desert region throughout most of the year. But perennial
fresh water springs (Ein is Hebrew for spring) flow down from the high
cliffs of the Judean Desert and have made permanent settlement and agriculture
possible since ancient times.
Ein Gedi is mentioned in many
historical sources and the abundant finds from archeological excavations
which have been conducted since the 1960s make it possible to trace the
long history of this unique place.
A Chalcolithic Temple
In the Chalcolithic period (4th
millennium BCE), a temple was erected at the Ein Gedi oasis which served as
a cultic center for the nomadic tribes of the region. The temple compound
was built on a rock terrace above the spring. It consisted of several
separate single-roomed stone structures, built around a large courtyard
which was surrounded by a wall. The temple complex was reached via a
gateway, consisting of a square chamber with benches. The temple itself
stood opposite, on the other side of the courtyard. It was rectangular in
shape (20 x 2.5 m.), with stone-built benches along its walls and an altar
on which animal bones and ash were found, testifying to its use as a
sacrificial altar.
Only the structural remains of the
abandoned temple were uncovered; researchers believe that the priests of
the temple fled in the face of approaching danger, taking with them the
many cult artifacts accumulated during generations of use. The temple was
never used again, but due to the arid desert conditions it has been well
preserved to the present day.
The Village at Tel Goren
During the biblical period, Ein
Gedi and the surrounding desert, known as the Wilderness of Ein Gedi, were
part of the territory of the Tribe
of Judah. David sought refuge
from King
Saul at Ein Gedi. (1
Samuel 24:1)
The first permanent settlement was
built on the low hill, Tel Goren, at the end of the monarchic period
(second half of the 7th century BCE). The houses of the small village were
built close together on terraces; each consisted of two rooms and a
courtyard. In them were large clay vats for the storage of drinking water
or liquids made from special plants growing in the area. Royal seal
impressions, and others bearing personal names, as well as a hoard of
silver pieces were found in the ruins of the village, indicating wealth and
economic importance.
During the Persian
period (5th-4th
centuries BCE) the village grew in area. Among the buildings was a
prominent, large structure (550 sq.m.), probably two stories high. It had
many rooms, courtyards and storerooms in which numerous artifacts,
including royal seal impressions were found. These attest to the continuing
importance of the village.
In the Hasmonean and Herodian periods (first
century BCE to first century CE) the Jewish settlement at Ein Gedi thrived,
expanded and became a royal estate. At Tel Goren, a well-fortified citadel
was built to protect the village and its agricultural products against
raiding nomads. At this time Ein Gedi expanded and spread to the low, flat
hill at the foot of Tel Goren. Ein Gedi was destroyed and abandoned during
the First Jewish Rebellion against Rome (66-70 CE).
In renewed excavations, beginning
in 1996, some 30 stone-built cells, clustered around a small spring, were
found northwest of Tel Goren. The excavator suggests that this might have
been a monastic site of the Essene sect, whose members lived in isolated
communities in the desert near the Dead Sea during the Roman period.
During the Bar
Kochba Revolt (132-135 CE), Ein Gedi was
an important outpost of the rebels, as recorded
in the Bar Kochba letters found in the Dead Sea area.
Later, a Roman garrison was stationed at Ein
Gedi.
During the Roman and Byzantineperiods (2nd-6th century), the oasis was an imperial estate and the
settlement at En-Gedi reached the peak of its prosperity. Eusebius, 4th
century bishop of Caesarea, describes Ein Gedi as a "very large Jewish
village." In the course of excavations, remains of dwellings, water
installations and shops along streets, were uncovered. During this period,
stone terraces were constructed on the hillsides and a sophisticated water
system, including storage pools and a network of irrigation channels, was
developed. These measures, initiated by the central administration, made
for expanded, efficient and intensive cultivation of tropical plants and
the production of perfumes and medicines. Especially famous and costly was
Balsam, a perfume produced from a plant that grew only in this region. To
protect the cultivated areas and to control the trade route, a fortress and
watch towers were built.
The Synagogue
The synagogue at Ein Gedi dates
from the Roman-Byzantine period, but it underwent
several changes in the course of its use.
When first built at the beginning
of the 3rd century, it was a modest, trapezoidal structure. In its northern
wall, facing Jerusalem, were two openings. The floor was of simple white
mosaic with a swastika pattern in black tesserae in the center. This
pattern has been interpreted as a decorative motif or as a good luck
symbol.
The synagogue underwent
far-reaching renovations during the fourth century: The opening in the
center of the northern wall was blocked and made into a square niche which
probably contained a wooden Torah ark; along the opposite southern side a
three-stepped bench was built; the building was divided by two rows of
square pillars into a central hall with two aisles; the entrance was
through three openings in the western wall.
In the mid 5th century, the
synagogue underwent a further change, but its trapezoidal shape was
preserved. Its dimensions were now 16 m. on the western side, 13.5 m. on
the eastern side, with a width of 12.5 m. and it was two stories high. A
platform (bema) containing a semi-circular niche surrounded by a chancel
screen was added to the northern side of the building facing Jerusalem. The whole interior of the
synagogue and the pillars were covered with white plaster and painted
decorations and a new, colored mosaic floor was laid. The central hall
contained a mosaic carpet decorated with a pattern of four-petalled
flowers; in the center is a circle with four birds and on the corners of
the outer, square frame are pairs of peacocks. The decoration opposite the
bema included three seven-branched menorot (candelabra).
The floor of the western aisle,
through which one entered the prayer hall, included five inscriptions.
These include an Aramaic inscription mentioning the local community as well
as private donors who contributed toward the construction and maintenance
of the synagogue. One inscription also includes a warning and a curse:
Warnings to those who commit sins
causing dissension in the community, passing malicious information to the
gentiles, or revealing the secrets of the town.
The one whose eyes roam over the
entire earth and sees what is concealed will uproot this person and his
seed from under the sun and all the people will say, Amen. Selah.
Two inscriptions in Hebrew relate
to Jewish tradition. One notes the names of the thirteen fathers of the
world according to 1
Chronicles l:l-4: Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mehalalel,
Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth.
Another lists the names of the
twelve signs of the zodiac and the twelve months of the Hebrew
calender;
the three patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and the names of the three
companions of Daniel: Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; and a blessing: Peace
upon Israel.
The synagogue was destroyed by
fire, probably during the reign of the Emperor Justinian (second half of
the 6th century), a period of Jewish persecution. Among the items in the
destruction debris was a unique find: a 30 cm. high seven-branched
candelabrum made of bronze.
The synagogue building has
recently been restored and a huge, protective tent covers it, enabling
visitors to enjoy this beautiful synagogue of the Jewish community which
once lived at Ein Gedi.
Sources: Ministry
of Foreign Affairs |