%0 Journal Article
%T Revisiting Epigraphic Evidence of the Oldest Synagogue in Morocco in Volubilis
%A Artem Fedorchuk
%A Michael Nosonovsky
%A Sofia Andreeva
%J Arts | An Open Access Journal from MDPI
%D 2019
%R https://doi.org/10.3390/arts8040127
%X Volubilis was a Roman city located at the southwest extremity of the Roman Empire in modern-day Morocco. Several Jewish gravestone inscriptions in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, likely from the 3rd century CE, have been found there. One of them belongs to ˇ°Protopolites Kaikilianos, the head of a Jewish congregation (synagogue)ˇ±, and it indicates the presence of a relatively big Jewish community in the city. The Hebrew inscription of ˇ°Matrona, daughter of Rabbi Yehudaˇ± is unique occurrence of using the Hebrew language in such a remote region. The Latin inscription belongs to ˇ°Antonii Sabbatraiˇ±, likely a Jew. In addition, two lamps decorated with menorahs, one from bronze and one from clay, were found in Volubilis. In nearby Chellah, a Jewish inscription in Greek was also discovered. We revisit these inscriptions including their language, spelling mistakes, and their interpretations. We relate epigraphic sources to archaeological evidence and discuss a possible location of the synagogue in this remote city, which was the first synagogue in Morocco. View Full-Tex
%U https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0752/8/4/127