Ancient Jewish quarter of Phanagoria discovered in Black Sea area of Russia

An extensive Jewish quarter from the ancient Greek city of Phanagoria has been found near one of the world’s most ancient synagogues in Russia’s Taman Peninsula, north of the Black Sea.

The Volnoe Delo Foundation, a charity founded by businessman and philanthropist Oleg Deripaska, reported the news earlier this month.

The Phanagoria synagogue was discovered in 2023. It is believed to be one of the world’s oldest synagogues, dating back to the first century BCE. It was destroyed in the sixth century and is likely the oldest synagogue outside of Israel.

Among the remains of the Second Temple-era synagogue are menorahs, altars, and other artifacts, including 58 copper coins.

Archaeologists have now found that the synagogue was not a stand-alone building but actually part of a much larger Jewish quarter with wineries, a park, residential houses, and clay pithoi, large earthenware jars.

Phanagoria was founded around 543 BCE. Its Jewish community was one of the largest in the Mediterranean region, evidenced by numerous tombstones bearing Jewish symbols, Volnoe Delo reported. The tombstones mainly depict menorahs, shofars, and palm branches.

The team of archaeologists also found an amphora with a Hebrew inscription on its seal. Amphorae were likely used by wandering Jewish merchants, “the Radhanites,” to import kosher food to Phanagoria, Volnoe Delo reported.

Several first- and second-century Jewish manumissions were also discovered in the Jewish quarter. These documents “granted freedom to slaves on the condition that they continue serving at the synagogue,” the team said.

Rabbi visits the ancient quarter

According to Rabbi Menachem Mendel Lazar, the chief rabbi of nearby Krasnodar and the Krasnodar Territory, “The Jewish community of that time adhered to all the laws and traditions of the Jewish people, while also respecting local customs and striving to create comfortable lives for everyone. This reflects the wisdom of our sacred Talmud: ‘When you come to a city, do as the locals do.’”

Lazar visited the synagogue last year and blew the shofar, something that had not been heard there for thousands of years. The synagogue’s benches were made of wood, there was a large oven for baking bread, and clear signs of a nearby mikveh, Chabad reported.