Herodian-synagogue relocation project at Beit Shemesh

ROADWORKS VS. ARCHAEOLOGY, CONTINUED: Second Temple-era synagogue to be moved stone by stone for highway. Rare Second Temple-era synagogue uncovered near Beit Shemesh will have to be relocated to another area to allow for already approved highway widening (Paul Shindman, World Israel News). If there continues to be money for such things.

HT Joseph Lauer, who writes in his e-mail:

Readers may remember a series of articles beginning in late 2018 about the discovery of a First Temple Period village in the path of the proposed widening of Route 38 near Beit Shemesh, Israel. After much discussion, the width of the road was reduced to allow preservation of the site, with a pedestrian overpass to connect the two parts of the tel. But, as it’s Israel, when the widening began, a Second Temple Period village with a synagogue was discovered. As reported below, the “Second Temple-era synagogue [is] to be moved stone by stone for [the] highway”.

For PaleoJudaica posts on the archaeology of the Route 38 roadworks, start here and follow the links. For earlier, unrelated, posts on the site of Beit Shemesh (Beth Shemesh) see the links here. And for more recent posts, see here and here.

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