Archaeologists find Jewish antiques, Hebrew texts in Moroccan synagogue

JERUSALEM POST STAFF

The Hebrew documents that were found provide insight into the timeline of Jewish history in the region and the history of Morocco, in general.
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The main square in Tata, Provinces of Souss-Massa, Morocco. / (photo credit: PERIPATESY/CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)/VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)

Archaeologists in Morocco discovered Jewish antiques and Hebrew texts in the city of Tata, according to the National Institute of Archeology and Heritage.

The researchers, led by Dr. Sagheer Mabrouk, a research professor at the institute, are conducting excavations at the Takadert Synagogue until Tuesday within the framework of the Archaeological and Anthropological Research Program on Moroccan Jewish Heritage.

Findings shed light on regional Jewish history

The excavations at the site led to significant archaeological discoveries. The Hebrew documents, for instance, provide insight into the timeline of Jewish history in southern Morocco and the history of Morocco, in general, according to the institute.

In 2021, the Moroccan government initiated a program to conduct restorations on hundreds of Jewish archaeological sites, making Morocco the first country in the Arab world to use public funds for that purpose, according to Morocco World News.

In January, Moroccan, Israeli and French researchers discovered the remains of a small Jewish community in the mountains of Morocco, according to Haaretz.

Lazama Jewish Synagogue – Mellah – Hay Essalam – Marrakech, Morocco (credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Last July, The Jerusalem Post reported that Morocco’s King Mohammed VI recognized the country’s Jewish community as part of its culture.

Jordyn Haime/JTA and Lahav Harkov contributed to this report.