A One-of-a-Kind Depiction of Jonah and the Whale, Found in an Ancient Synagogue

July 11 2017

For seven consecutive seasons, archaeologists have been excavating a 5th-century synagogue in the Galilean village of Ḥuqoq, gradually uncovering mosaics that portray a series of biblical scenes. A depiction of the most famous passage from the book of Jonah is the latest discovery, as Amanda Borschel-Dan writes:

In the . . . mosaic, Jonah’s legs are shown dangling from the mouth of a large fish, which is being swallowed by a larger fish, which is being consumed by a third, even larger fish. . . . [T]his is the first known depiction of the story of Jonah in an ancient synagogue in Israel. . . .

According to Jodi Magness, [one of the archaeologists coordinating the excavation], “the Huqoq mosaics are unusually rich and diverse. In addition, they display variations on biblical stories which must represent oral traditions that circulated among the local Jewish population. . . . These scenes are very rare in ancient synagogues.” . . .

Among the other rich mosaic finds this season was a detailed scene of men at work constructing a stone tower, which the [archaeological] team hypothesizes is a depiction of the building of the Tower of Babel. Also, a mosaic medallion shows the Greco-Roman sun god Helios in a four-horse chariot. He is surrounded by personifications of the months, the signs of the zodiac, and personifications of the four seasons.

Read more at Times of Israel

More about: Archaeology, History & Ideas, Jewish art, Jonah, Synagogues

What Iran Seeks to Get from Cease-Fire Negotiations

June 20 2025

Yesterday, the Iranian foreign minister flew to Geneva to meet with European diplomats. President Trump, meanwhile, indicated that cease-fire negotiations might soon begin with Iran, which would presumably involve Tehran agreeing to make concessions regarding its nuclear program, while Washington pressures Israel to halt its military activities. According to Israeli media, Iran already began putting out feelers to the U.S. earlier this week. Aviram Bellaishe considers the purpose of these overtures:

The regime’s request to return to negotiations stems from the principle of deception and delay that has guided it for decades. Iran wants to extricate itself from a situation of total destruction of its nuclear facilities. It understands that to save the nuclear program, it must stop at a point that would allow it to return to it in the shortest possible time. So long as the negotiation process leads to halting strikes on its military capabilities and preventing the destruction of the nuclear program, and enables the transfer of enriched uranium to a safe location, it can simultaneously create the two tracks in which it specializes—a false facade of negotiations alongside a hidden nuclear race.

Read more at Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs

More about: Iran, Israeli Security, U.S. Foreign policy