The Israel Antiquities Authority, Kultūros paveldo Išsaugojimo pajėgos, the Good Will Foundation, and the Jewish Community of Lithuania are pleased to announce the results of the fifth season of excavation at the Great Synagogue of Vilna (Vilnius) & the Shulhoyf.
This year’s excavation, led by Dr. Jon Seligman of the Israel Antiquities Authority and Justinas Racas of the Kultūros paveldo Išsaugojimo pajėgos, focused on the main hall and women’s section (ezrat nashim) of the Synagogue and part of the mikve (ritual baths) building.
The work, conducted by a mixed team of Lithuanians and Israelis, succeeded in continuing to uncover the main hall of the 17th century synagogue to the east of the Bimah and Torah Ark (Aron Kodesh) excavated previously.
The new sections have coloured terrazzo floors of flowers in red, black and white. Also exposed was women’s section of the synagogue built in the 18th century. On the floor of the synagogue were the remains of one of the huge collapsed columns, that fell during the destruction of the synagogue by the Nazis and later by the Soviet authorities in the 1950s.
Also lying on the floor were remnants of a section of wall covered in blue and red painting not evident from any known pictures.
In addition, the excavation returned to a huge underground cellar beneath the bathhouse and mikve building. Two huge concrete basins from the bathhouse used to ensure that the water was ritually pure for the congregants were located within the cellar. The research team is presently studying the significance of these finds which could greatly improve our understanding of these discoveries and the practice of ritual ablution by the Jews of Lithuania.
