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3D RESEARCH & 4D RECONSTRUCTION ARCH. ROY ALBAG (“NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL LIGHTING IN THE EN GEDI SYNAGOGUE,” IN R.E. JACKSON-TAL, ED., LIGHTING THE WAY IN JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, AND ISLAM [JERUSALEM: ISRAEL MUSEUM, 2024], PP. 56–61)

SENSING THE SACRED. Archaeological and literary sources inform our understanding of how early Jews illuminated their synagogues. They also suggest that the ritual practice of incense burning did not cease with the destruction of the Temple. This digital reconstruction of the Ein Gedi synagogue shows the different sources of light that may have warmed the building’s interior, including limited natural light, suspended chandeliers (with single and multiple cups), and a menorah by the Torah shrine. Burning and wafting incense from censers would have added to the sensory experience of synagogue worship.