Jewish tomb in Bari, Castello Svevo

Описание: Tomb with a menorah

In 1922, a small subdial cemetery with thirteen tombs, dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries, was found during the construction works of some buildings in San Lorenzo district, on the way to Carbonara. Oriented from East to West, all the burials—five of which with two deposed bodies—were lacking of funerary equipment and inscriptions except one with an inscription on the head slab. Studies show that the decorative motif represented a menorah, the seven-branched candelabrum, attesting the belonging of this tomb to the local Jewish community and confirming the presence of a Jewish necropolis in the findings area. A limestone slab with a Latin inscription dating back to the imperial age was also found, witnessing the presence of a cemetery area during the Roman Age. Following excavations brought to light a hypogeum consisting of a quadrangular vaulted environment of 5–6 meters per side, whose chambers preserve five funerary epigraphs written in Hebrew.


The Jewish presence in Apulia and Bari

The first Jewish settlements in Apulia can be traced back to the prisoners brought by Jerusalem to Italy by Titus in the 1st century and probably some groups of Jews settling in Otranto and Taranto in the 4th century. Between the 9th and 10th centuries, the Jewish communities already existed in Apulia such as those in Bari and Oria, accompanied by centers for cultural and economic activities. In 1463 the Giudecca of Bari was sacked and, with the descent of Charles VIII, hostility towards Jewish communities in Apulia turned into violent tumults. Between 1510 and 1540 the publication of the expulsion decree compromised the presence of the local communities; in 1541 the Giudecca of Bari ceased to exist. In 1578, the Synagogue was bought by the Cathedral Chapter, which leased part of it to a local nobleman and occupied part of it as the chapter's residence. In 1939 the Synagogue of Bari was demolished and its remains were incorporated in a building in Strada San Sabino.


English hashtags:
#JewishHeritage #AncientTomb #Menorah #JewishHistory #ApuliaHistory #BariHistory #CulturalHeritage #RomanAge #HistoricalSite #Archaeology #JewishCommunity #AncientCemetery #HebrewEpigraphy #ReligiousHistory

Italian hashtags:
#PatrimonioEbraico #TombaAntica #Menorah #StoriaEbraica #StoriaDellaPuglia #StoriaDiBari #PatrimonioCulturale #EtàRomana #SitoStorico #Archeologia #ComunitàEbraica #CimiteroAntico #EpigrafiaEbraica #StoriaReligiosa