Location of the site in Jerusalem where the Theodotus inscription was discovered.
Overview
While excavating in the City of David in 1913, French
excavator R. Weill discovered a monumental synagogue inscription at the bottom of a
cistern. Named after the priest and synagogue ruler mentioned in the dedication, the
Theodotus inscription has since become the most famous of all early synagogue monuments.
Although recently challenged by Howard Kee, the pre-70 dating
of the inscription has been firmly established through both paleography and an analysis of
the find's archaeological context. Not only do the inscription's letter-forms closely
match those of other inscriptions dated to the Second Temple period,
but all of the pottery and artifacts
discovered with the dedication also date to this era.
Written in Greek, the dedication offers us a glimpse of the
character of Second Temple synagogues. They were monumental buildings governed by a
formalized body of leadership, in this case a priestly "synagogue ruler" (archisynagôgos)
surrounded by a group of elders (presbyteroi). The building functioned as a place
for the reading and exposition of Torah, and included a hostel for pilgrims that was
replete with guestrooms and "water installations"--quite possibly the mikvaoth
or ritual baths found near the discovery site.
Note: CIJ refers to the standard compilation, Corpus
Inscriptionum Judaicarum. All translations are mine.
The Theodotus inscription (CIJ 2.1404), which was discovered in Jerusalem by French
excavator R. Weill in 1913. It is dated to the first century CE prior to the Temple's
destruction. Significantly, the inscription reveals that three generations of priests
served as the "rulers of the synagogue" (archisynagôgoi) mentioned in
the dedication. Translation:
Theodotus, (son) of Vettenus, priest and
archisynagôgos, son of an archisynagôgos,
grandson of an archisynagôgos, built
the synagogue for the reading of the law and
the teaching of the commandments, and
the guest-chamber and the rooms and the
water installations for lodging for those needing them
from abroad, which his fathers, the elders
and Simonides founded
The letter forms of the Theodotus inscription closely match those of this warning sign
(CIJ 2.1400) posted on the Temple mount (compare especially the sigmas and the alphas).
Pottery and artifacts from Weill's excavations. These all date from I BCE to I CE. Thus
both the palaeography and the architectural context of the synagogue inscription's
discovery site strongly suggest a pre-70 CE date.
Architectural fragments found in the cistern with the Theodotus inscription. Such
floral and geometric patterns were predominate during the Second Temple period, when there
was a strict observance of the Second Commandment.
Plan of the area where the Theodotus inscription was discovered. C2 is the cistern in
which the inscription was found. P1-P6 represent the mikvaoth (ritual baths) and
storage pools possibly mentioned in the inscription. S1 indicates the well-dressed stones
believed by the excavator to be remains of the synagogue. Q1-Q3 signify three of the
quarries dug during the erection of Aelia Capitolina (c. 135 CE). (Click image for more
detail.)
Photograph from Weill's 1913 excavations. The arrow points to a divided mikveh
or ritual bath, labelled P1/P2 on Weill's plan.
Other Sites Devoted to Second Temple Jerusalem:
Gamla
Jerusalem
