The New Archaeological Definition of the Earliest Synagogues in Judaea and Galilee Applied to the Site of Khirbet Qumran

Following the discovery of numerous synagogues in Judea and Galilee in recent years, a new archaeological definition of early synagogues (before the third century ce) is emerging. The confrontation of the criteria with a case study, the site of Khirbet Qumran, allows us to evaluate the basis for this new definition. Some criteria seem to be abandoned and others to be integrated. After this archaeological and literary study, the definition is established as a large multifunctional building following the regional Hellenistic architectural model. As a result, several excavated sites become eligible, including two sectors of Khirbet Qumran.