The renovation and rebuilding of synagogues in late antique Palestine: the synagogue at Ḥuqoq as a case in point

Synagogues in late antique Palestine remained in use for extended periods with only minor alterations made to the original structure, while others underwent at least two distinct building phases marked by significant changes in the floor plan and interior design. Earthquakes are often cited as the primary reason for replacing one synagogue with another, but it is argued that some, or parts of, buildings were intentionally dismantled and replaced by larger structures to meet the growing needs of a community. This pattern appears in synagogues throughout the region, including the 5th-century synagogue at Ḥuqoq, the focus of this article. Contrary to the excavators’ claim that the synagogue had been abandoned for centuries before the medieval construction, it is argued that it was deliberately dismantled and replaced by a larger structure in the Byzantine period to accommodate the growing needs of the community. Below is a methodological inquiry into the use of archaeological tools relating to the art, architecture, stratigraphy and chronology of the Ḥuqoq synagogue. Its findings have broader implications for other synagogues in the region and beyond.