Severus Synagogue: Ancient Roots Near Hot Springs
Originally published: July 2025
The Severus Synagogue is located within Hammat Tiberias National Park. It’s dazzling mosaic floor under the synagogue’s ancient stones reveal the wealth of a Jewish community living confidently amid the cultural currents of the Roman and Byzantine worlds.
Location
The Severus Synagogue sits within the archaeological park of Hammat Tiberias, a site famed since antiquity for its 17 steaming mineral springs. Hammat Tiberias lies along the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, near Tiberias.
Tiberias in Late Antiquity: A Thriving Jewish Center
After the destruction of Jerusalem and the failed Bar Kokhba revolt, Tiberias rose to prominence as a spiritual and cultural hub for Jewish life. From 193 CE to the end of the 4th century, it served as the seat of the Sanhedrin—the supreme Jewish religious and legal authority.
By the Byzantine period, the Jewish community here thrived with remarkable resilience. Records suggest as many as thirteen synagogues stood in Hammat Tiberias at its height. Among them was Synagogue A (Hammath Tiberias North), discovered in 1921, with its basilical hall and precious artifacts like the limestone menorah and the inscribed “Chair of Moses.” Yet, it’s Synagogue B—the Severus Synagogue—that has captured scholars’ and visitors’ imaginations most powerfully.
Far from being an isolated religious outpost, Tiberias was a city buzzing with intellectual debate, religious scholarship, and cultural exchange. Archaeological evidence paints a picture of a confident Jewish society blending traditional faith with elements of the surrounding Greco-Roman world.
The Severus Synagogue: Built in Layers
The Severus Synagogue reveals not just one synagogue but a stack of sacred spaces built one atop the other.
First Layer (1st century CE)
Before any synagogue rose here, the site hosted a public building from the Roman period, perhaps tied to civic or bathhouse activities connected to the hot springs.Second Layer – First Synagogue (c. 230 CE)
Around 230 CE, the first synagogue was constructed atop the Roman ruins. Little survives of this building apart from fragments of mosaic floor, hinting at the community’s initial step toward creating a dedicated house of worship.Third Layer – The Severus Synagogue (3rd–4th centuries CE)
Often called the Severus Synagogue, this second synagogue building was the jewel of the site. Built as a square basilica, it featured a central nave flanked by three aisles, divided by rows of columns. Worshippers would enter through three doorways in the northern wall, their eyes inevitably drawn to the elaborate mosaic flooring. Unfortunately, this synagogue was likely destroyed in the early 5th century, possibly by an earthquake.Fourth Layer – A Larger Synagogue (5th–6th centuries CE)
A final synagogue rose over the Severus Synagogue’s remains in the 5th–6th centuries. This was a significantly larger building, but it, too, fell into ruin, probably during the upheavals of the 8th century CE.
These overlapping layers reveal a resilient community rebuilding and preserving its sacred spaces through the centuries.
Inside the Mosaic
Walk into the Severus Synagogue today, and your eyes are instantly pulled toward its brilliant mosaic floor—an artistic masterpiece that tells a layered story of faith, identity, and cultural blending. The floor is arranged in three main panels, each bursting with detail.
Uppermost Panel: Symbols of Jewish Faith
At the top of the mosaic, a Torah shrine sits in splendid detail, its doors flanked by curtains. On either side stand two majestic menorahs, their seven branches ablaze with light. Scattered around are ritual objects like a shofar (ram’s horn), a lulav (palm frond), and an etrog (citron). These familiar Jewish symbols assert the community’s spiritual identity, even as their art converses with broader artistic styles of the Roman world.
Middle Panel: The Zodiac Wheel and Helios
The middle panel is the showstopper. Here, the Greek sun god Helios rides a quadriga—a four-horse chariot—across a bright circle representing the heavens. Rays shoot from his haloed head as he grips a celestial sphere and whip, clad in a flowing imperial cloak. Surrounding him, the twelve signs of the zodiac circle counterclockwise, each labeled in Aramaic and exquisitely depicted:
Aries (ram)
Taurus (charging bull)
Gemini (twin youth)
Leo (roaring lion)
Virgo (maiden with a torch)
Libra (man with scales)
Scorpio (partially preserved)
Capricorn (goat-fish hybrid)
Aquarius (youth pouring water)
Pisces (two fish)
Cancer and Sagittarius were unfortunately destroyed when a later wall sliced through this section of the floor.
In the corners between the zodiac and the mosaic’s square frame, four female busts represent the seasons—Spring crowned in flowers, Summer with sickle and wheat, Autumn holding fruit, and Winter cloaked against the chill.
For modern visitors, it’s startling to see pagan imagery like Helios in a synagogue. Yet for the Jewish community of Tiberias, this may have been a confident statement that their God ruled the cosmos. Scholars debate whether the zodiac here served religious, calendrical, or purely decorative purposes—but it’s clear the Jews of Hammat Tiberias were not afraid to incorporate broader artistic traditions into their sacred spaces.
Bottom Panel: Dedications and Identity
At the base of the mosaic run eight Greek inscriptions, framed by two lions. The most notable dedicates the floor to “Severus, the pupil of the most illustrious patriarchs.” This Severus was likely a student of influential Jewish leaders like Hillel II and Jude II. Greek names, pagan motifs, and Hebrew symbols together hint at a Jewish community living confidently within a multicultural world.
Additional Information
Pre-Iron Age:
- c. 7000 years ago: First settlement at Tel Dan.
- c. 2700 BCE: The first city is established at Tel Dan (initially known as Laish or Leshem).
- c. 1750-1550 BCE (Middle Bronze Age II B-C): The Canaanite city of Laish is well-fortified with an earthen rampart (10-15 meters high with a stone core) and a mud-brick arched gate (“Gate of Three Arches”). The city enjoys trade with Mesopotamia and Sidon and is mentioned in Egyptian Execration Texts and Mari documents as a source of tin.
- Mid-15th Century BCE (Late Bronze Age I): Thutmose III of Egypt conquers Laish. Mycenaean culture influences are present, including a Mycenaean tomb.
- 13th Century BCE (Late Bronze Age II B): A smaller settlement exists.
- 12th Century BCE (Iron Age IA): Granary pits and metalworking indicate a developing copper industry, possibly linked to early Israelite settlement. Philistine pottery is also found.
- 11th Century BCE (Iron Age IA): Destruction layer.
Iron Age:
- 10th Century BCE (Iron Age IB – Iron Age IIA): After the Israelite conquest, the tribe of Dan, having trouble in the south with the Philistines, migrates north, conquers Laish, and renames it Dan after their ancestor. Jeroboam I, the first king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel after the split from Judah, builds cultic sites in Bethel and Dan, including placing one of the two golden bulls in Dan to rival Jerusalem as a religious center.
- 9th Century BCE (Iron Age IIB):Ben-Hadad I of Aram Damascus is bribed by Asa, King of Judah, to break his alliance with Baasha, King of Israel, and attacks Israelite cities, including Ijon and Dan.
- Ahab, King of Israel, expands the cultic complex at Dan.
- The Tel Dan Stele is erected by an Aramean king, likely Hazael of Aram Damascus, commemorating a victory over the Kingdom of Israel. The stele mentions the killing of Joram, King of Israel, and Ahaziah, King of the “House of David” (Kingdom of Judah). This event aligns with the biblical account of Jehu’s revolt, although the stele attributes the killings to the Aramean king.
- Early 8th Century BCE (Iron Age IIB):Jeroboam II, King of Israel, adds steps to the cultic platform at Dan.
- The Tel Dan Stele is likely destroyed and its fragments used as building material, possibly by Jehoash, King of Israel, who fought against Aram and recaptured cities taken by Hazael.
- c. 750 BCE (Iron Age II C): Tel Dan is destroyed by a large fire, likely during the Assyrian conquest.
- 733/732 BCE: Tiglath-Pileser III of Assyria conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel. While Abraham Biran suggested this as the end of Dan, there is no direct biblical or Assyrian record of Dan’s destruction at this time.
- Late 8th Century BCE (Iron Age IIB): Level associated with the Assyrian conquest contains a room of altars, bronze and silver scepter head, and Paleo-Hebrew, Phoenician, and Aramaic inscriptions.
- Late 8th/7th Century BCE (Iron Age II C): Destruction layer associated with the Babylonian destruction.
Post-Iron Age:
- Persian-Hellenistic Period (4th-1st Centuries BCE): The cultic site at Dan is revived. A bilingual (Greek and Aramaic) inscription “To the god who is in Dan” testifies to its continued religious importance.
- Roman Period (1st-4th Centuries CE): Dan is conquered during the revolt against the Romans and subsequently destroyed, leading to its abandonment. The main settlement shifts to Banias.
- Mamluk and Early Ottoman Periods (15th-16th Centuries CE): Possible farmstead or small village exists at the site, with remains of a small cemetery found.
- 1917: Arthur Hjelt visits Tell el-Kadi (Tel Dan) and describes its abundant water source and lush vegetation, recognizing its potential for archaeological excavation and hoping for a Finnish expedition. World War I interrupts his plans.
- 1963: A brief test excavation is conducted by Z. Yeivin on behalf of the Department of Antiquities and Museums.
- 1966 onwards: Extensive archaeological excavations begin at Tel Dan, primarily led by Abraham Biran, initially for the Department of Antiquities and Museums and later for the Nelson Glueck School of Biblical Archaeology of Hebrew Union College-Jerusalem. Over 33 seasons of excavation take place.
- 1979: The Canaanite arched gate is discovered.
- July 21, 1993: Gila Cook, a surveyor for the excavation team, discovers the first fragment (A) of the Tel Dan Stele.
- 1994: Two more fragments (B1 and B2) of the Tel Dan Stele are discovered by the excavation team led by Abraham Biran in the gate area.
- Since the late 20th Century: The Tel Dan Stele is displayed at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
- 2001: The Israel Nature and Parks Authority, with assistance from the World Monuments Watch, erects a shelter over the Canaanite gate to protect it.
Nearby Sites
- Tiberias Hot Springs: Dip into the same mineral waters known to Romans and Jews alike for their healing powers.
- Mount Arbel: Hike for panoramic views over the Sea of Galilee and explore ancient caves once used as hideouts.
- Magdala: Visit the hometown of Mary Magdalene, where excavations have uncovered another stunning first-century synagogue.
- Bet Alpha Synagogue: Marvel at another zodiac mosaic floor, echoing the artistic spirit seen at Hammat Tiberias.
