(ANSAmed) - ANKARA - The remains of an ancient synagogue have been revealed in an archeological dig in Turkey. The ruins, estimated to be at least 1,500 years old, were unearthed by a team of archaeologists from Akdeniz University in September and new artifacts are being discovered daily. Among those discovered on the site is a marble tablet featuring a menorah (a seven-branched candelabrum which has been a symbol of Judaism for almost 3000 years and is the emblem of Israel) flanked by a shofar (a horn, traditionally that of a ram, used for Jewish religious purposes) and a bugle on one side and a palm tree and lemon tree on the other. Site chief Dr. Nevzat Cevik, an archaeology professor at Akdeniz University, told Anatolia news agency that his team believes the temple is from around the third century. The ancient temple was found in the town of Demre in the Antalya province, on the southwestern tip of Turkey. The structure is situated on a hilltop overlooking the Andriake harbor. The dimensions of the main room are 7.25 meters by 5.08 meters. (ANSAmed).
