The 17 springs of Hamat Tiberias flow from a source that stretches 33ft (10m) below the ground. Its therapeutic powers have been used since ancient times to cure various ailments. The Hamat Tiberias synagogue, built between 337 and 286 BC, contains the oldest surviving mosaic floor in Israel. The central mosaic is a beautifully preserved design representing a large zodiac with Helios at its centre guiding his celestial chariot in the direction of the sun.
The seventeen springs of the city of Hamat Tiberias emanate from a source tens of meters underground. In ancient times, the springs were thought to have therapeutic and restorative powers. The Sages recognized the contribution of the springs to curing a variety of ailments (including boils) and thus ruled that one could bathe in them even on the Sabbath.
This site was discovered by accident in 1920, when the road from Tiberias to Zemach was paved by members of Gedud Ha?avoda. A year later, people digging at the site uncovered a seven-branched candelabrum, now on display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. A stone armchair is another interesting find.
Hammat Tiberias (or Hammat), a spa and city 3.2km (2 miles) south of Tiberias, existed well before the founding of Tiberias in the 1st century A.D. Hammat and Tiberias existed side by side for hundreds of years as "twin cities." In Roman and Byzantine times, Hammat developed into a spa resort visited by travelers from all over the known world. The ruins of Hammat are now a national park.Hammat contains the ruins of one of Israel's most magnificent ancient synagogues, as befits a town that would have hosted wealthy visitors from distant Jewish communities. Most spectacular is the Hamat Tiberias synagogue's well-preserved mosaic calendar floor (4th c. A.D.) that depicts the zodiac cycle and, in its outer corners, four women representing the seasons of the year. At the center of the zodiac, the sun god Helios rides on a chariot through the heavens; beyond the zodiac, a separate mosaic panel depicts traditional Jewish symbols, including the Ark of the Covenant flanked by two ceremonial menorahs. The famous native zodiac floor of the Bet Alpha synagogue (which served a Byzantine-era farming village in the Jordan Valley) may have drawn on this very sophisticated mosaic for inspiration.
Entrance to the ruins is through the Ernest Lehman/Haman Suleiman Museum, which inventories information on regional history and the curative powers of the hot springs. Be aware that the open water flowing through the gardens around the ruins comes directly from the hot springs and will scald you should you decide to do something foolish, like test it with your toe! Up the hill from the baths is the Tomb of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness (Rabbi Meir, Master of Miracles), a disciple of Rabbi Akiva, and one of the great sages who helped to compile the Mishnah in the 2nd century A.D.
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The synagogue at Hamat Tiberias had a long and varied history. The remains, on view today, belong to the Severus synagogue, built between 337 and 286 B.C.E., the period when the Sanhedrin (assembly of 71 ordained scholars, which served as both as legislature and as supreme court) met in Tiberias. It draws its name from one of the Greek inscriptions found here.
The most beautiful feature of the synagogue is the mosaic floor, the oldest discovered in Israel. The mosaic has three panels. The central panel has a large zodiac, with Helios at the center steering his celestial chariot towards the sun.
Directions:
Hamat Tiberias National Park is at the southern entrance to Tiberias, near the hot springs.