It’s always exciting to discover an old family heirloom that hasn’t been seen for decades while exploring in the attic. Or imagine the thrill of finding a piece of history while browsing through an antique story or walking through a yard sale.
This discovery is on an entirely different level.
Archaeologists and 11 students from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill unearthed mosaics almost 1,600-years-old in a synagogue at Huqoq, a village in Lower Galilee.
The mosaics include the depiction of Deborah and Jael, also referred to as Yael. The two female biblical heroines are found in the book of Judges in the Torah and the Christian Old Testament.
“This is the first time the depiction of these two biblical heroines has been discovered in ancient Jewish art,” said Jodi Magness, Ph.D., a Classical and Biblical Archaeologist and UNC Professor. “What we do not know is why they were significant to the Huqoq villagers — why did they choose to depict this episode in the mosaics?”
“One possibility may be that their story is described as taking place in the same geographical region as the village, which is the territory of the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulon,” adds Magness.
In the book of Judges, Judge Deborah joined with military commander Barak to lead the Israelites to victory over the Canaanites, who were led by the general Sisera. After the battle, Sisera took refuge in the tent of a Kenite woman named Jael (Yael), who later kills him. Jael then delivered Israel from King Jabin of Canaan.
The synagogue where the mosaics were discovered was built in the late fourth to early fifth century C.E. Mosaics were first discovered at the site in 2012.
The excavations this season focused on the southwest area of the synagogue. A portion of the floor revealed a large mosaic panel divided into three horizontal strips, depicting the narrative from the fourth chapter of the Book of Judges.
Another mosaic discovered included a fragment of a Hebrew dedicatory inscription, surrounded by panels depicting two vases holding vines. These vines shift into medallions that hang around four animals eating grapes.
The newly discovered mosaics have been removed from the site for conservation.
The Huqoq Excavation Project is now in its 10th season, and excavations are scheduled to continue in the summer of 2023.
