Siracusa, Sicily - Temple of Athena, Jewish Baths
“Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there for three days.” Acts 28:12
The ports of Siracusa today are much the same shape as they were in the first century. The Bible says very little about Paul’s brief stop here. We know from ancient historians that Siracusa was an important port in the Roman era and was a center of art and philosophy. African ships carrying grain to the ports of Rome could pull into the excellent harbors of Siracusa and wait for favorable weather and wind to make the last leg of the journey to Puteoli or Ostia. There was, and still is, a fresh water spring at the harbor to resupply ships with potable water.
The Christian Cathedral of Siracusa (the Duomo) is a fascinating building. It is built into the remains of the 5th c BC Temple of Athena. On the exterior, original temple columns are visible, subsumed into the walls of the church. Inside, many of the original columns were incorporated into the walls and side isles. Excavations below the church have shown that the site was used as a place of cult worship since the 8th century BC. The baptistery is a massive 5th century BC Greek krater (vessel), now used as a font and embellished with modern lion sculptures. The Duomo is undergoing some exterior renovations, so we couldn’t get a clear idea of the look of the fascade.
Very near the Duomo is an amazing place - the Jewish Baths - built around 600 AD. In the 1980’s, when this area was completely derelict and largely abandoned, a woman fell in love with a building that she determined to renovate into a hotel. Long story short, a Jewish mikveh was found hidden underneath. Jews in this area had to dig 30 feet below the surface to get to a well and spring of living water where they could create a beautiful mikveh. In the 1400’s, at the time of the inquisition, the Jewish neighborhood here was forced to flee. They put their sacred objects into the pools, filled the entire area in with dirt and debris, and it was forgotten over 500 years. What was the synagogue was turned into a Christian church. The tour of the baths was very well done and the entire story is moving. No photos were allowed down in the baths, and so those pictures are from a bulletin board at the street level and the cover of a small book that tells the story of Amalia Daniele di Bagni and her determination to do justice to this site and to the Jewish history of the area.
One photo of food here - the heavenly Sicilian Pistachio Granita - which we had never heard of. It is often served in the morning with a brioche bun that is dipped into the ice pistachio cream. Incredible, perfectly hit the spot after a morning in the bright sun!
Port of Siracusa, Sicily
