Archaeologists discover 'Jesus' synagogue' in groundbreaking find

Archaeologists believe they may have unearthed the remnants of a synagogue dating back to the first century - a find celebrated as one of the most significant biblical discoveries in decades.

The location, entombed for centuries beneath a later structure, has long been connected in scripture to the ministry of Jesus.

For centuries, pilgrims and scholars have linked the ancient settlement of Chorazin, or Korazim, with tales from the New Testament. The Gospels recount how Jesus delivered sermons and cured the afflicted in the local synagogue, but also how he subsequently denounced the town for spurning his teachings.

The Book of Matthew documents his warning: "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!" Yet until now, physical evidence of a synagogue from this era had remained elusive.

That may have transformed with excavations at Korazim National Park, a location already housing impressive basalt ruins of a subsequent synagogue constructed around AD 380. Whilst re-examining the 20th-century excavation in 2024, a team headed by archaeologist Achia Cohen-Tavor made a remarkable discovery beneath its stone floor, reports the Mirror.

Clearing layers of stonework, they uncovered a series of massive boulders positioned in a deliberate foundation - alongside fragments of pottery, coins, and everyday cookware.

"This is a groundbreaking discovery," Cohen-Tavor said. "I have been excavating all over [the globe], and for me, it's definitely one of the most important excavations I've ever directed."

The artefacts wedged between the stones provided a vital clue.

Ceramic fragments uncovered by the team have been dated to the first century, precisely the era when Jesus is believed to have journeyed through Galilee.

Cohen-Tavor revealed in a video about the excavation: "I can't date the rock itself when it was put here. What I can date is the pottery and, hopefully, coins coming from between the rocks and definitely what's beneath them."

The discovery has ignited fresh controversy amongst biblical scholars.

Should the dating prove accurate, the boulder foundations might represent the remnants of the synagogue referenced in Matthew's Gospel - the very place where Jesus preached.

Experts urge restraint, emphasising that only additional examination can verify the identification, yet for the dig team, the proof is more compelling than ever that this site served as a centre of Jewish worship two thousand years ago.

The find also illuminates why previous archaeologists might have overlooked the deeper remains.

Cohen-Tavor observed that the enormous basalt stones could readily have been confused with bedrock during the 1905 excavation that initially revealed the later synagogue.

Consequently, the earlier structure remained concealed for over a century.

The 4th-century synagogue that formerly stood above the first-century remains is itself an extraordinary monument.

Constructed from the area's black basalt, it boasted three doorways and ornamental carvings featuring Jewish symbols. Among the most remarkable discoveries was the so-called "Chair of Moses," a stone seat where the Torah reader would sit whilst reciting scripture.

Such chairs are referenced in Matthew 23, when Jesus told his followers: "The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses' seat."

Similar seats have since been discovered at sites including Hammath Tiberias and on the Greek island of Delos.

Archaeologists are careful not to exaggerate their findings. "What was found at the site are just clues about the first-century synagogue," Cohen-Tavor admitted, emphasising that only continued study will determine whether it can be definitively linked to Jesus.

Nevertheless, the presence of first-century pottery and coins in situ is being described as the strongest material evidence yet of Jewish worship in Chorazin during his lifetime.