The ruins of the Ostia synagogue, discovered in 1961, constitute a testimony of fundamental importance both for the history of the Jewish presence in the region and for the knowledge of the oldest diaspora structures. It stood along the Via Severiana, outside the city gate, almost by the sea. The primitive core of the synagogue may date back to the end of the 1st century, when the city was a multi-ethnic trading centre, and it was subject to significant renovations at the beginning of the 4th century; other hypotheses place its foundation in the 3rd century. The building, composed of several rooms, was originally accessed through a vestibule with three entrances and tall Corinthian columns. On the back wall of the slightly curved synagogue hall, the tevah was probably located. On the opposite side, the apse that constituted the aron has been preserved, built in the 4th century. This was framed by a small aedicule structure with columns and ledges decorated in bas-relief with traditional subjects: the menorah, the shofar, and the lulav. The complex also included functional rooms, such as a kitchen with an oven and sunken compartments for provisions, and a large room with benches along the walls, perhaps used as guest quarters.
Within the building, the dedicatory inscription was found, altered to commemorate the donation of the ark by Mindis Faustos.
Viale dei Romagnoli, 717 – Ostia Antica – Rome
Information and contacts: https://ostiaantica.cultura.gov.it/en/
