Page 156 - A Walk to Caesarea / Joseph Patrich

142 Archaeological Review

structure’s function was the same in stratum II – from the time of Herod – and its
shape rectangular. It may be that this is the synagogue because of which the revolt
broke out, as Josephus describes (see above pp. 17–18). In Rabbinic sources, this
synagogue is known as “the Synagogue of the Revolt” (knishta de-maradatha). The
eastern wall as well as the southern were uncovered in their entirety. These were
massive walls, more than 1.2 m thick built of ashlars in courses of alternating headers
and stretchers above deep foundations – typical features of a public building. Five
such courses were uncovered in the southeastern corner of the building, each 28 cm
high. Portions of these walls were incorporated in the construction of the fourth-
century synagogue. Previously part of the structure served as a cistern.

Three levels of mosaic floors bearing Greek inscriptions were found. In the first, a
man named Iouli(o)s is mentioned; in the second a quotation from the Septuagint
of Isaiah 40:31; and the third mentions Beryllos son of Ioustos, who was the leader
of the synagogue (archisynagogos) and phrontistes – a word meaning administrator
or curator – who donated his own money to cover the costs of the mosaics and the
triclinium – one of the halls in the synagogue complex (Fig. 159). Additionally,
a column was found with a dedication by Theodoros son of Olympos for the
salvation of his daughter Matrona, a marble plaque speaking about the community
tribute in the time of Maruthas, as well as a hoard of 3,700 coins, most of them
from the time of Constantine II (337–361). On one of the capitals is a monogram
that can be deciphered as “Patricius the Consul” or “Patricius the consularis”, that
is, the governor. Three fragments of the “list of twenty-four priestly courses” – a
kind of liturgical calendar that preserved the tradition of the weekly service of
priestly families in the Temple (Fig. 45 above, p. 42), apparently originated from
this synagogue as did a column with the inscription “Shalom”.

Fig. 159

Donation of synagogue floor
by Beryllus, 5th – 6th c. CE.
“Beryllus the archisynagogos
and phrontistes, son of Iou(s)
tus, had the mosaic pavement
of the triclinium made at his
own cost”
(tr. J.J. Price, CIIP II, no. 1140)

The Round Towers in the City Wall of Straton’s Tower and
of Herod (Fig. 160a)

At a short distance to the north from the remains of the synagogue, the pathway
cuts through the Herodian city wall. On the external side one can see a round
tower rising to a height of six courses. The lower course is of headers with a
projecting end, typical of Hellenistic construction. It can be attributed to the
time of Straton’s Tower. West of here, a bit prominent above the surface, are the