Are There Synagogues In Galilee?

Prior Knowledge/The Abstract:

Throughout the Bible, it is said on numerous occasions that Jesus and his followers preached in synagogues in the region of Galilee(Ex: Matthew 4:23). However, some skeptics have claimed this was not possible as there were no, or few synagogues found in this area. This is a rather old claim, but it has slowly gained popularity recently so it is a topic that must be gone over. 

What is a Synagogue?

A synagogue is a place of Jewish worship or instruction. It is just like a mosque or a church, just for Jews instead of Muslims or Christians. The University of Wyoming notes three synagogues found around the time of Jesus. "Each one comprises a large public building made of stone bricks and featuring a large central room whose roof was supported by columns...these features add up to a plain, unadorned public building. There is so little decoration in it that the only thing that indicates its Jewish character is its location in a Jewish village. Moreover, these structures display no religious markings..."  (The University of Wyoming, full site below). 

Are There Synagogues in Galilee?

According to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, there definitely was! "The early synagogues of the Galilee were the first buildings representing monotheistic space where people worshipped without idols. They were also the initial prototypes where Jesus prayed. The remains of as many as 50 different synagogues were identified in the Galilee, one of the most concentrated sites for synagogues in the world at that time. These early synagogues included Meron, Gush Halav, Navorin, Bar Am and Bet Alfa and Korazim, and Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee. The earliest synagogue remains in Palestine date to the late first century BCE. or by the early first century CE. By this time the synagogue was a developed central institution throughout the Jewish world. From the fourth to seventh centuries there is evidence of scores of synagogue being built throughout the country" (UNESCO, full site below).

Of course, they aren't the only ones who say this. The University of Chicago Press(Site Below), Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs(Site Below), and many others all agree there were several synagogues in Galilee. There are no credible scholars who claim otherwise. 

Works Cited:

Mfa.gov.il. 2003. Capernaum-City of Jesus and its Jewish Synagogue. [online] Available at: <https://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/israelexperience/history/pages/capernaum%20-%20city%20of%20jesus%20and%20its%20jewish%20synagogue.aspx> [Accessed 1 April 2022].

Centre, U., 2000. Early Synagogues in the Galilee - UNESCO World Heritage Centre. [online] Whc.unesco.org. Available at: <https://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1470/> [Accessed 1 April 2022].

Greenspan, J., 2016. Eldridge Street Synagogue. [online] Commons.wikimedia.org. Available at: <https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Eldridge_Street_Synagogue_1.jpg> [Accessed 1 April 2022].

M. Meyers, E., 1980. Ancient Synagogues in Galilee: Their Religious and Cultural Setting. [online] JSTOR. Available at: <https://www.jstor.org/stable/3209628> [Accessed 1 April 2022].

V.M. Flesher, P., 2011. What did a Synagogue of Jesus' Time look like?. [online] Bibleinterp.arizona.edu. Available at: <https://bibleinterp.arizona.edu/opeds/fle358001> [Accessed 1 April 2022].