Maoz Haim Synagogue

The Maoz Haim Synagogue was a former ancient Jewish synagogue and now archeological site, that is located near Maoz Haim, in the Beit She'an region, in the Jezreel Valley area of the Galilee district of northern Israel. Constructed in the third century as a simple Byzantine-era type basilica building, later apsidical, the ruins of which were discovered in February 1974 by Avshalom Ya’aqobi during some unrelated digging near Maoz Haim. The excavations at the site were conducted from February to March 1974 under the direction of the archaeologist Vassilios Tzaferis.

The runis stands out as an unusual archeological find that contains a record of synagogue development from a time of otherwise sparse historiography. It was even developing right through times of anti-Judaic legislation and sermonizing. The former synagogue was located amongst a large settlement in which it served as a center of worship for Jews there from its beginning up through its final destruction by fire sometime in the early 7th century.