The ancient synagogue of Gaza was built in 508 CE during the Byzantine period and was discovered in 1965. It was located in the ancient port city of Gaza, then known as "Maiumas", currently the Rimal district of Gaza City.[1]
In 1965, Egyptian archaeologists discovered the site and announced they had uncovered a church.[2] Later a mosaic of King David wearing a crown and playing a lyre, labelled in Hebrew, was found. The mosaic was dated to 508-09 CE and measured 3m (10feet) high by 1.9m (06.2feet) wide.[3] [4] It was originally described as depicting a female saint playing the harp.[5] The Egyptian archaeologists stated that the mosaic was in fact an Orpheus mosaic, Orpheus being a figure from Greek mythology who was commonly associated with Jesus or David and used in Byzantine art.[6] Shortly after the mosaic's discovery, the main figure's face was gouged out. When Israel captured the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Six-Day War, the mosaic was transferred to the Israel Museum for restoration.[7]
The mosaic floor of the synagogue is on show at the Museum of the Good Samaritan, located on the Jerusalem-Jericho Road near the Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Adumim in the West Bank.[8]
The best known panel of the mosaic floor shows King David, who is named in a Hebrew inscription reading "David", while sitting and playing a lyre with a number of wild animals listening tamely in front of him. The iconography is a clear example of David being depicted in the posture of the legendary Greek musician Orpheus.[9]