At the ancient Galilean village of Tel Rechesh, the archaeologist Motti Aviam and his colleagues have discovered a synagogue they believe was built between 20 and 40 CE. While Jewish houses of prayer from this period have been excavated in ancient cities, this is the first to be found in an agricultural community. Yitzḥak Tessler writes:
Aviam explained that “we are talking about a magnificent agricultural area about [one acre] in size where buildings are decorated with frescoes and stucco articles. Jewish families lived on the estate but, due to the fact that the nearest synagogue was four kilometers away (a distance deemed too far . . . according to Jewish law), the owner of the estate built the synagogue for himself and for the dozens of workers in his employment.” . . .
[One significant element is the] layout of the benches along the structure’s walls. This is [a typical] feature of a Sephardi synagogue’s design, in which worshippers sit along the wall facing the center of the room. It was customary for the prayer reader to stand in the center of the room and read portions and lessons of the Torah during the Sabbath and on the Jewish holidays.
Aviam added, “This is a simple synagogue but it is not simple to build a synagogue. The benches that we discovered are made of beautiful white ashlar stone and the large foundational pillars required considerable investment and were expensive.”
Read more on Ynet: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4841308,00.html