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Ancient Synagogue Discovered in Ramallah Area
Arutz Sheva ^ | Feb 07, '06 | Scott Shiloh

Posted on 02/07/2006 5:15:26 AM PST by SJackson

Three weeks ago, Israeli police found a mosaic floor in an Arab car. The Antiquities Authority has confirmed that the floor be belongs to a previously undiscovered synagogue in the Ramallah area.

Researchers from the Israeli Antiquities Authority believe that the mosaic formed part of an ancient synagogue floor because it contained depictions of Jewish symbols, such as the base of a menorah (a seven branched candelabrum), a lulav (palm branch), and dates.

Another, no less interesting feature of the mosaic, are the words “Shalom (peace) on Israel” which are inscribed on it. At first, researchers thought the thieves had stolen the mosaic floor of an ancient Jericho synagogue, known as the “Shalom on Israel” synagogue, because if has the same inscription.

But after some checking, the researchers learned that the Jericho synagogue, located in an area subject to the jurisdiction of the PA, was intact and in place. The inevitable conclusion was that the newly discovered mosaic was from an as yet undiscovered ancient synagogue.

Researchers surmise that the synagogue is located somewhere in the Ramallah area, because the two suspects in the car where the mosaic was found, are from Shuafat, a north Jerusalem neighborhood bordering Ramallah.

The precise location of the synagogue can only be guessed at, because areas, such as Ramallah, which are controlled by Palestinian Authority security forces, are off-limits to Jews. Jews who attempt to visit or do research in those areas are at risk of being kidnapped or killed.

Ironically, the “Shalom on Israel” synagogue in Jericho is also off-limits to Jews, despite a specific provision of the Oslo accords that guarantees Jewish access to the site.

During the First and Second Temple periods, the Ramallah area was at the heart of the Jewish commonwealth, so the possibility of an undiscovered synagogue in the area came as no surprise to antiquities researchers.

Like many archeological discoveries, this one was revealed entirely by accident, when border police stopped and searched a suspicious vehicle. When they saw the mosaic, police knew they were on to something unusual, and immediately called in a special unit, whose job is to investigate the theft of antiquities. That unit turned the mosaic over to the Antiquities Authority.

Despite the security obstacles, the Antiquities Authority said it will attempt to use undercover means to discover the exact location of the synagogue.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Israel; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: accords; antiquities; authority; floor; godsgravesglyphs; guarantees; guaranteesjewish; islam; israel; jericho; jerichosynagogue; jew; jewish; jewishaccess; jews; jihad; mosaic; mosaicfloor; muslim; muslims; oslo; osloaccords; pa; palestinian; palestinianauthority; peace; ramallah; shalom; shalompeace; synagogue
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1 posted on 02/07/2006 5:15:27 AM PST by SJackson
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To: SJackson

I'll bet it was there before old Mo flew to heaven on his winged pig, or whatever it was.


2 posted on 02/07/2006 5:21:57 AM PST by beef (Who Killed Kennewick Man?)
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To: Alouette; NYer; SunkenCiv; F15Eagle; Esther Ruth; Salem; Alexander Rubin; timsbella; dennisw; ...

Kewl! Ancient synagogue discovered in area muslims claim was always muslim. Yet another proof the Jews were there first!


3 posted on 02/07/2006 5:24:44 AM PST by Convert from ECUSA (The "religion of peace" is actually the religion of constant rage and riots.)
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To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
If you'd like to be on or off this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.
Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking the keyword Israel.

---------------------------

4 posted on 02/07/2006 5:26:21 AM PST by SJackson (elected members of Hamas: businesspeople, professionals, not terrorists. Scott McClellan)
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To: beef
All this means is that there will be a mosque built there with a few days. Any time that TROP finds evidence of a preexisting holy site they have to desecrate it by removing all traces of it and sticking one of their phallus shaped towers there as a reminder of what is going to happen to all other places of worship unless they are stopped.
5 posted on 02/07/2006 5:27:39 AM PST by Abathar (Proudly catching hell for posting without reading since 2004)
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To: SJackson

All the muslims should get out of the formerly jewish and christian lands.


6 posted on 02/07/2006 5:27:44 AM PST by tkathy (Ban the headscarf (http://bloodlesslinchpinsofislamicterrorism.blogspot.com))
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To: SJackson

Wow! Of course, the PA says the Jews never occupied Israel at any time until 1948.


7 posted on 02/07/2006 5:50:47 AM PST by Shery (S. H. in APOland)
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To: SJackson
Memo to self: Remember to add a couple of M1 Abrams tanks to our archaeology kit... And call in the A-10s for cover...
8 posted on 02/07/2006 6:06:13 AM PST by TXnMA (TROP: Satan's most successful earthly venture...)
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To: TXnMA
Excellent.

How about a squadron of B-52's to "shake" the rubble.

9 posted on 02/07/2006 6:12:12 AM PST by DeaconNoGood
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To: SunkenCiv

GGG Ping


10 posted on 02/07/2006 6:16:21 AM PST by Founding Father (The War Against Western Civilization Has Begun)
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To: SJackson
Excellent post.


11 posted on 02/07/2006 6:45:17 AM PST by george76 (Ward Churchill : Fake Indian, Fake Scholarship, and Fake Art)
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To: beef

The wind blew, the shi'ite flew, and there stood Mad Mo'!


12 posted on 02/07/2006 7:39:54 AM PST by sheik yerbouty ( Make America and the world a jihad free zone!)
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To: SJackson

Woo Hoo! Iraq has always had a Jewish population, i.e the gardens of Babylon are there. If I recall correctly this is where Daniel saw the writing on the wall.


13 posted on 02/07/2006 8:39:34 AM PST by timsbella (Mark Steyn for Prime Minister of Canada!)
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To: tkathy
All the muslims should get out of the formerly jewish and christian lands.

I agree. I'd like to see all of the Egyptian squatters that call themselves "Palestinians" shipped home at gunpoint. For that matter, I'd like to see Greater Israel restored, including the formerly Jewish cities of Mecca and Medina.

Then the Israelis should confiscate the Saudi oil fields as compensation for 1400 years of Muslim oppression. I'd much rather buy my oil from Israel than from the howling Mahometan head choppers. Drive them all into the desert, there to live out their squalid lives in the tents of their grandfathers, never again allowed to set foot in the civilized world on pain of death.

14 posted on 02/07/2006 8:57:47 AM PST by ccmay (Too much Law; not enough Order)
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To: ccmay

I'm alright with that.


15 posted on 02/07/2006 9:01:54 AM PST by MileHi ( "It's coming down to patriots vs the politicians." - ovrtaxt)
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To: 1st-P-In-The-Pod; A Jovial Cad; A_Conservative_in_Cambridge; adam_az; af_vet_rr; agrace; ahayes; ...
FRmail me to be added or removed from this Judaic/pro-Israel/Russian Jewry ping list.

Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.

16 posted on 02/07/2006 9:16:54 AM PST by Alouette (Psalms of the Day: 49-54)
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To: SJackson; blam; SunkenCiv

BTTT


17 posted on 02/07/2006 9:34:25 AM PST by Fiddlstix (Tagline Repair Service. Let us fix those broken Taglines. Inquire within(Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: Convert from ECUSA; Founding Father; blam; FairOpinion; Ernest_at_the_Beach; StayAt HomeMother; ...
Ironically, the “Shalom on Israel” synagogue in Jericho is also off-limits to Jews, despite a specific provision of the Oslo accords that guarantees Jewish access to the site.
What a huge surprise.

Thanks for the pings, Convert from ECUSA and Founding Father.

To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list. Thanks.
Please FREEPMAIL me if you want on or off the
"Gods, Graves, Glyphs" PING list or GGG weekly digest
-- Archaeology/Anthropology/Ancient Cultures/Artifacts/Antiquities, etc.
Gods, Graves, Glyphs (alpha order)

18 posted on 02/07/2006 9:35:56 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Islam is medieval fascism, and the Koran is a medieval Mein Kampf.)
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To: SJackson

true story: The first chapters of the Koran describe how Mohommoose was told by an 'angel' to write the book, and he said he couldn't , so the angel squeezed it out of him...


This explains the steaming pile of excrement they base their belief on


19 posted on 02/07/2006 10:25:14 AM PST by Mr. K (Some days even my lucky rocket ship underpants don't help...)
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To: timsbella
Woo Hoo! Iraq has always had a Jewish population

Could be, but this is not in Iraq; it's near Jerusalem.

20 posted on 02/07/2006 10:58:33 AM PST by LexBaird ("I'm not questioning your patriotism, I'm answering your treason."--JennysCool)
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