Capital Conundrum

COURTESY ARKADY OSTROVSKY, ISRAEL ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY

During salvage excavations in the town of Moza just northwest of Jerusalem, an unexpected find emerged from the ground: a stone capital with a menorah carved on each of its four sides. The limestone capital, which was discovered in secondary use in the remains of a sixth- or seventh-century CE building, poses an intriguing question: How did a Jewish symbol end up in a village settled by the descendants of Roman soldiers?

“While Corinthian capitals with smooth leaves were common throughout the late Second Temple through Byzantine periods, the capital discovered at Moza exhibits truly distinctive features,” said Orit Peleg-Barkat, an archaeologist from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. “Despite being skillfully crafted, it appears to be the work of an artisan less familiar with architectural conventions. Most significantly, the upper section—traditionally adorned with a floral motif—instead features what resembles an eight-branched menorah.”

The capital was likely first used in a Roman-era building constructed between the second and fourth centuries; during this period, capitals featuring the menorah were widely used in synagogues throughout the region. What is odd in this case, however, is that there is no synagogue or other evidence of a Jewish population in Moza. According to Israel Antiquities Authority Deputy Director Yuval Baruch, “It is reasonable to surmise that this capital was brought from a destroyed site elsewhere merely to serve as useful building material.”