Acknowledgments
I should like to acknowledge my indebtedness and special gratitude to Liel Almog, my English editor, for her thorough and diligent work. I am grateful to my friends Dr. Rivka Gersht, for help with some bibliography and Malka Hershkovitz, for her help with books and lamps data.
I offer my sincere thanks to the many colleagues and friends who granted me permission to use their material and illustrations. I am pleased to thank them here, in alphabetical order:
Dr. Moti Aviam for the drawing of the Migdal atone, Ben David Haim, Ilana Gonen and Yeshu Dray for permission to publish photographs and the plan of their recent excavations at Umm el-Qanatir, Prof. Nadin Burkhardt for the high quality illustrations from Priene she sent me, Prof. Angelos Chaniotis for the high quality illustrations of several finds from Aphrodisias, Prof. Nevzat Çevik for the illustrations of the chancel screens and other finds from the synagogue at Andriake, Prof. Shimeon Dar for permission to use the photos of the polycandelon at Sumaqa and the lintel from Raqit. Prof. Serra Durugönül for illustrations from Rough Cilicia, Turkey, Prof. Mark R. Fairchild for the high quality illustrations from Rough Cilicia, Turkey.
Prof. Mounir Fantar for the cover images and the illustrations of the beautiful synagogue mosaic of Kélibia/Clipea in Tunis, Prof. Steve Fine for the high quality illustrations of the plaque from Asia Minor, the Arch of Titus panel, gold glass and Zoar tombstone no. 71. Prof. Gideon Foerster for the fine illustrations of the Saranda synagogue in Albania, and lamps from the Beth She’an Excavations, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Dr. Peter Gendelman and the Israel Antiquity Authority for permission to use the new find from Caesarea, the menorah incised on a mother of pearl tablet; Dr. Hillel Geva for the illustrations from the Jewish Quarter Excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem Conducted by Nahman Avigad, 1969–1982; Prof. Elisabetta Gliozzo for permission to use two bricks with menoroth stamps, Prof. Ole Harck for illustrations of several finds from Germany and Europe, Prof. Eric Lapp for the illustration of a lamp from Jordan. Dr. Uzi Leibner of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for permission to use the Wadi Hamam synagogue plan and photographs of the polycandelon.
Prof. John Lund for the illustrations of lamps with menoroth from Carthage, Dr. Yitzhak Magen for the permissionto use photos of mosaic details from the Samaritan synagogues of El-Hirbeh and H. Samara, Dr. Eilat Mazar for the unique image of the Jerusalem gold medallion. Profs. Carol and Eric Meyers for the new material from Sepphoris of menoroth on ceramic vessels, Drs. Orit Peleg and Yotam Tepper for the illustration of the table from Ramat Hanadiv.
Prof. Konstantinos D. Politis for the many fine photos of the Zoar (Gohr Safi) tombstones, including one unpublished lintel and two sandstones from Zoar. Prof. Marcus Rautman and the Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College for high quality illustrations of several finds from Sardis. Prof. Roni Reich and and E. Shukron and The Israel Antiquity Authority for the illustrations of the Jerusalem vessel with menorah graffito. Prof. Martin Seyer for the high quality illustrations of the plan and finds of the Limyra synagogue, Prof. Celal Şimşek for the illustrations of menorah and cross on the Laodicea column, Dr. Varda Sussman for the use of the drawing of menoroth on Samaritan lamps, Dr. Danny Syon and the Israel Antiquity Authority for the fine illustration of the bread stamp, Prof. Robyn Walsh for the illustration of the menorah she discovered on the Elche synagogue mosaic in Spain.
Prof. Zeev Weiss and the Sepphoris Excavations, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for permission to use various photographs of Sepphoris mosaics and the polycandelon, Dr. Ada Yardeni for the many of her clear and nice drawings of the Zoar tombstones. Prof. Dr. Jürgen K. Zangenberg for the new illustrations and new data on the recent excavation of the Ḥorvat Kur synagogue.
I am pleased to thank the following instituations: Dudi Mevorach and the Israel museum, Jerusalem for the illustrations of several Zoar tombstones, the lampstand on long term loan from the collection of Dr. David and Jemima Jeselsohn, Zurich, Switzerland, and for the Susiya synagogue bema and chancel screens exhibited in the Israel Museum. The Hecht Museum, University of Haifa for the illustration of two Zoar tombstones. The Israel Antiquity Authority for several illustrations of Beth She’an and Hammath Tiberias mosaics, the marble menoroth from H. Qoshet and Ma‘on-Judea, the seat from Korazim and more. The Judea and Samaria Archaeological Staff Officers for the illustration from Eshtemoa, Hajja, and Susiya.
Affectionate thanks go to my family for their unfailing patience, support and encouragement.
Rachel Hachlili
University of Haifa
July 2017