Off the Beaten Path - Archeology Sites: Chorazin, Kursi & Yodfat

Less Traveled Sites - But Well Worth It!

As we continue our series of posts on ‘off the beaten path’ adventures in Israel we’d like to touch upon a few special archaeological sites.

Chorazin (Korzin)

You experience true inspiration as you stand in the Talmudic era synagogue of Chorazin, looking down at the light blue waters of the Sea of Galilee, 900 feet below. Chorazin was a town that thrived in the Galilee – after the destruction of the Second Temple.

Although mostly unheard of, it is one of the more beautiful ancient synagogues in Israel and one that clearly demonstrates a mastery of stonework. Built of black basalt (volcanic rock), in the form of a basilica, the imposing structure stands in an area known in ancient times for the quality of wheat grown there.

The builders used ingenuity in getting around some of the limitations presented by their primary building material. Basalt can become brittle and break easily – this limited the length of the beams that could be used – which averaged about six feet in length, restricting the size of the rooms that could be built. Internal walls were built to support these beams while in other instances a beam was placed between arched openings (six feet from the wall) and the outer wall.

With two rows of columns along its length and one row along its width, the synagogue features lovely carvings; an assortment of Jewish symbols and has inscriptions in both Aramaic and Hebrew. It had three entrances with the front facing south, toward Jerusalem, as was the custom. One of the interesting finds located on site, is a stone seat, where the Torah reader sat. It is inscribed in Aramaic was dubbed the Chair of Moses.

The ancient synagogue is located in the middle of Chorazin National Park. Along with its beautiful synagogue, Chorazin is also known as one of three cities cursed by Jesus for not accepting his teachings.

Kursi

Kursi is an ancient fishing village, with a Byzantine synagogue, a place of great importance to Christianity and Judaism. The synagogue that was discovered is just near the Sea of ​​Galilee, with a mosaic floor and an engraved inscription on a marble slab.

The presence of the synagogue is indicative of the many changes on the human level, and it seems that the state of the Sea of ​​Galilee today is not the worst in terms of water level. The synagogue’s mosaic floor indicates the cultural impact of Tiberias and not the Golan Heights, despite the geographical proximity of the Golan (1.5 km).

Tel Yodfat

The Siege of Yodfat was a 47-day siege by Roman forces of the Jewish town of Yodfat which took place in 67 CE, during the Great Revolt. Led by Roman General Vespasian and his son Titus, both future emperors, the siege ended with the sacking of the town, the deaths of most of its inhabitants and the enslavement of the rest. It was the second bloodiest battle of the revolt, surpassed only by the Siege of Jerusalem, and the longest except for Jerusalem and Masada. The siege was chronicled by Josephus, who had personally commanded the Jewish forces at Yodfat and was subsequently captured by the Romans.

The ruins of Tel Yodfat are located on a hill at the edge of the Yodfat valley, south east of the modern community of Yodfat. It can be approached from a new good paved road that starts from the junction of the entrance road to the modern community.

The peak is 50-100M above the valleys around it. It is dotted by caves,  ancient cisterns and the remains of ancient buildings which are mostly scattered on the southern ridge.  To the north of Tel Yodfat are remains of a later period Roman/Byzantine village.