Umm el-Kanatir / Ein Keshatot
Umm el-Kanatir (in Arabic: “Mother of the Arches”) is an archaeological site on the western slopes of the Golan Heights, about 30 miles east of Tiberias. Excavations at the site proved it was a prosperous Jewish village in the Byzantine period, yet abandoned after the earthquake of 749CE.
Its elaborate ancient synagogue, now fully restored, is the best-preserved example of synagogues in the Golan Heights from the time of the Talmud.
History and Archaeology of Umm El-Kanaitr
The ruins of an ancient synagogue in Umm el-Kanatir were recorded in 1884, but only at the turn of the 21st century was it excavated and restored in its entirety.
Restoring Umm el-Kanatir’s synagogue
Restoring the ancient synagogue of Umm el-Kanatir was done by an innovative process of planting an RFID chip into every stone, and then, with a crane, setting its stone into its original location. This detailed project took 15 years and completed in 2018.
The excavations indicated that the site was settled in the Roman period by pagans but later became a Jewish village. Its economy was based on washing and whitening flax at the adjacent spring. The excavations did not yield evidence of the site’s name in antiquity. Its official modern Hebrew name is Ein Keshatot (“The Spring of the Arches”).
Touring Umm el-Kanatir
The site is reached a 1-mile long road around Natur (road 808). It is open during the week, and there is an admission fee.
A tour of the site can be combined with multi-day tour in Israel that will include exploring the Golan Heights.
Bar-Mitzvah in Umm el-Kanatir
Umm el-Kanatir can also be a unique location for a Bar/Bat-Mitzvah ceremony. Reading the Torah inside a fully restored 1,400-year-old synagogue is undoubtfully a very special and spiritual experience. The site is open year-round and welcomes Jewish families of all denominations to celebrate here their special event.
