SHADOWS OF GREATNESS. Nestled above a valley in the eastern Galilee, the Wadi Hamam synagogue dates as early as the late third century C.E. Within a century, however, it was badly damaged and ultimately destroyed, purportedly by earthquakes. Patches of a mosaic floor (circled in red) that adorned the sanctuary were incorporated into the drab plaster floor laid down during the final phase of the synagogue’s existence.