Smithsonian Associates Interview Series

Smithsonian Associates Interview Series

According to the New Testament, Jesus and Paul preached in synagogues. But two thousand years ago, the Jerusalem Temple was the focal point of the Jewish religion. Our guest today, Jodi Magness, an archaeologist who specializes in ancient Palestine, explores the origins of the synagogue and how it became a prominent part of religious Jewish life in the centuries after the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple in 70 A.D. She discusses synagogues in the time of Jesus and illuminates the surprising pagan motifs, such as Helios and the zodiac cycle, which decorate ancient synagogue buildings in the Holy Land.

Magness is credited for a “once in a lifetime find” in the ancient village of Huqoq in Israel’s Galilee.

Check out our intreview with Dr. Jodi Magness, and don’t miss this excellent Smithsonian Associates program.  For more information, click HERE, or add this link to your browser menu bar: https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/the-rise-of-the-synagogue-in-jewish-life