 Meron
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During the times of Mishna and Talmud (third and fourth centuries A. D.), Meron was a Jewish town in the Galilee, one of many. Several homes built on the hillside where the town was, were discovered in archeological excavations. The ruins of the ancient synagogue are found on top of the hill. It was one of the largest synagogues of that kind that remained in the Galilee. The synagogue is part of a group of synagogues distinguished by their impressive building style, though decorations carved in stones, which are a typical characteristic of such synagogues, were not preserved here. In order to make the ground fit for building that house, most of it was quarried from rock, so that its whole west side is quarried in natural rock. The other walls were made of large hewn stones. The front of the building is particularly impressive looking, with all its three openings. It faces south, toward Jerusalem, like the other synagogues in the Galilee. Customarily, the synagogue hall is divided by three rows of columns shaped like the Hebrew letter "Het". There are many graves of saints in Meron and the area, and most importantly, the one of R' Shimon Bar Yohai, are considered ancient by tradition. That has not been proven by the archeological findings.
Meron
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