AN ANCIENT SYNAGOGUE AND TEXTILE FACTORY ON THE GOLAN

The Golan Heights covers an area of 1800 square kilometers & is referred to as Bashan in the bible (Deuteronomy 4:43 ; Joshua 20:8). Allocated as part of the tribal allotment of Menasseh, the name Golan is derived from a city within the Bashan area & was one of 6 refuge cities appropriated to the tribe of Levi. Cities of refuge provided asylum to perpetrators of unintentional manslaughter, thereby protecting them from revenge disguised as justice, by agrieved groups or individuals.

After the destruction of the 2nd Temple by the Romans in 70 C.E, few Jews remained in the Holyland. Overtime Jews began returning to the area in small numbers. With the arrival of the Byzantine Period (324 C.E. – 638 C.E) a flourishing Jewish community had arisen & was resident on the Golan as evidenced by the present day remains of over 25 ancient synagogues & ritual baths (mikvaot).

One of these synagogues is named UM EL-KANATIR or Ein Keshatot, a contemporary name given to the synagogue due to the building's many arches. Keshet in Hebrew meaning arch. The synagogue is rectangular in plan & measures 13X18 meters. Typical of all basilica type planning, are the 2 rows of columns that divide the plan longitudinaly into a wide central rectangle known as the knave bordered by smaller rectangles on either side known as the aisles. An unusual & unique feature of the synanagogue are the relief carvings engraved on the columns. The columns, together with the external walls supported the now missing upper gallery & roof. Basalt, a volcanic rock prevalent in the area was used to build the structure. Both the entrance to the synagogue & the raised platform which housed the Torah scrolls, faced Jerusalem. The synagogue was restored using the most advanced techniques available. R.F.I.D. (Radio frequency identification) was used to code & digitaly record stones as they were returned to their original positions.

Like many of the ancient communities in the Golan, the economy was dependent on mixed farming which included sheep, cattle, olives for the production of olive oil & grapevines for the production of wine. However, this community had an additional economic asset, namely the PRODUCTION OF LINEN FROM FLAX. Flax, a food & fibre plant requires a lot of sunlight & water, as well as cooler temperatures. The relatively high altitude of the Golan heights compared to the rest of the country resulted in slightly lower temperatures. The seeds of the plant were used to make linseed oil & the stem fibres were processed to make linen. Archaeological remains of water pools under arched roof coverings coupled with both rough & smooth threshing columns, bear witness to past linen production facilities.

A biblical event involving flax is recorded in Joshua 2:6. Rahab, a woman who lived in Jericho assisted the Israelites in capturing the city by hiding two of Joshua's spies amongst a bundle of flax on the roof.

With the start of the early Arab period (638 C.E.-1099C.E.), the Jews were ethnically cleansed of the area. Various peoples have since occupied the Golan but a devastating earthquake in 749 C.E, & the constant conflicts kept the population numbers low. The Druze, a sect deriving from Islam settled in the area in both the 15th & 16th centuries. During the Ottoman period (1516 – 1917), Jews from Safad & Tiberius purchased a number of plots from the resident Bedouins as did Baron Edmund de Rothschild. Homes and farmsteads were established but did not last long as the Ottomans repossessed the land. The 1920 Arab riots futher reduced the Jewish population and the last Jews were evicted by Syria in 1947 prior to the 1948 War of Independence.

After the 6 day war in June 1967 Jews returned to the area & today approxiamately 50 000 people inhabit the Golan, 27 000 of which are Jews who live in 33 settlements. The remaining 23 000 are Druze who live in 4 towns close to the Syrian border.

Ron Traub ( Tour Guide & Architect). Website : rontraub-tours.com Photo's : Rimonah Traub. Sketches : Ron Traub.