Gaza Synagogue
An inscription in an ancient synagogue in Gaza, excavated by Prof Asher Ovadiah in 1967, reads: We, Menachem and Yeshua, sons of the late Yishay, wood merchants, as a sign of admiration for the most holy site, donated this mosaic in the month of Luos, year 569". The date corresponds with the Gregorian year 508 CE.
The best-known panel of the mosaic floor depicts King David, who is named in a Hebrew inscription reading "David" (דויד), surrounded by various wild animals while playing a lyre.
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Overview
“(We) Menahem and Yeshua, sons of the late Isai (Jesse), wood traders, as a sign of respect for a most holy place, donated this mosaic in the month of Louos (the year of) 569,” reads the Greek inscription in the synagogue’s southern aisle.
This date in the Gaza calendar corresponds to 508/9 CE. The typically Jewish names buttress the argument that the Gaza structure was a synagogue, and not a church, as an early report suggested.
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