Ancient Katzrin

The Bedouin village of Katzrin was discovered in the Golan at the end of the Six Day War in 1967. Katzrin (which I immediately liked for the similarity of its name to my own) existed alongside twenty-five other Jewish villages during the Byzantine Period (400-700 CE).
At the entrance to the village is an “unfinished house” used to illustrate ancient building techniques. Domestic buildings were built of hewn stone, chiseled using hammers, chisels and hatchets and bound with mud plaster.
Another house in the village, identified as the house of Rabbi Abun, has been fully renovated and its replicas of its contents are on display to give visitors an idea of daily life in Katzrin.
The most significant building in Katzrin is the synagogue. Unlike other buildings in Katzrin, the synagogue was constructed of large, carefully worked stones and stood at a fair height. Such an elaborate building suggests that the community of Katzrin was quite wealthy and also implies the importance of the synagogue to the lives of the people of the community. From a distance was a plate of glass designed to show how the synagogue may have looked when it was complete.
While wandering through Katzrin, though, we were a little disturbed by the sounds around us – gunfire, shells and helicopters – though everyone assured us it was only the Israeli army practicing in the distance. Apparently it’s a common happening, but we couldn’t help but laugh at the contrast between the sights of the peaceful, historic village and the sounds around us.