A figural mosaic in the synagogue at Khirbet

The floor of the synagogue is decorated with a magnificent mosaic, one of the few discovered to date in synagogues of ‘Galilean’ type.1 The mosaic was already severely damaged in antiquity and large portions of the N and W aisles were replaced with a simple plaster floor. The portions of the mosaic that survived in these aisles were not covered over but instead incorporated into the later floor, leaving ‘islands’ of mosaic in the plaster. It appears that at the time of the renovation the community lacked the means to repair or replace the mosaic, but the remains, although badly damaged, were considered sufficiently important to be preserved as far as possible. No other such instances of ancient preservation of synagogue mosaics are known to date. No trace of a plaster floor was found in the E aisle or in the nave, so it appears that the mosaic survived in these parts of the building until it went out of use.