Khirbet Sufa
A carved marble chancel screen from the late Byzantine period (50 cm wide, 60 cm remaining of its original height,4-5 cms thick),
with a stylized fleur-de-lis surrounded by a hexagram, inside a wreath,
with extending stripes. The wreath, a common motif in church and synagogue chancel screens from the Byzantine period, usually serves as a frame
for religious symbols, such as crosses and seven-branched candelabra.
The hexagram was a common decoration in the Byzantine era. The six-pointed Magen David (Star of David)
did not appear as a Jewish symbol until the Middle Ages, much later
than the date of this screen.
Sources: Israeli Foreign Ministry |