PA daily: Synagogue in northern Israel dates to Roman period; Gazans are descendants of biblical Samson
“A spectacular mosaic discovered in a synagogue in the Galilee during excavations, which were renewed this summer for the third season, shows Samson the Giant not as he is usually described in folktales, [but] as a regular man – not a giant.
In July 2012, archaeological sources announced the discovery of a synagogue dating from the end of the Roman period, between the fourth and fifth centuries CE, during archaeological digs at the Huqoq site in the western Galilee…
The discovery of Jewish synagogues from that period, or the early Islamic period, is not rare in Palestine…
The legend of Samson and Delilah, which took place on the land of Palestine and Gaza, has greatly influenced modern art around the world, [including] cinema, music, visual arts, novels and poems. These days, Gaza is continuing to produce legends about resolve in the face of ongoing aggression, by those who see themselves as the descendants of Samson – who, according to the legend, found no alternative but to destroy the house of worship with its inhabitants, in what is considered to be the first suicide operation in human writing. The legendary Samson may have died with his enemies, [but] Gaza has lived, and still lives, to write its stories, which surpass [all] legends.”
In July 2012, archaeological sources announced the discovery of a synagogue dating from the end of the Roman period, between the fourth and fifth centuries CE, during archaeological digs at the Huqoq site in the western Galilee…
The discovery of Jewish synagogues from that period, or the early Islamic period, is not rare in Palestine…
The legend of Samson and Delilah, which took place on the land of Palestine and Gaza, has greatly influenced modern art around the world, [including] cinema, music, visual arts, novels and poems. These days, Gaza is continuing to produce legends about resolve in the face of ongoing aggression, by those who see themselves as the descendants of Samson – who, according to the legend, found no alternative but to destroy the house of worship with its inhabitants, in what is considered to be the first suicide operation in human writing. The legendary Samson may have died with his enemies, [but] Gaza has lived, and still lives, to write its stories, which surpass [all] legends.”