Archaeological Results from the Ostia Synagogue Excavations

Featuring Dr. L. Michael White

Director, Archaeological Excavations of the Ancient Synagogue in Ostia, Italy
Professor Emeritus of Classics & Religious Studies, University of Texas at Austin

Wednesday, September 16, 2026
7:00–8:30 p.m. ET | Online

What can archaeology reveal about the Jewish community of ancient Rome?

Join Westar Institute for a special presentation with distinguished archaeologist and scholar Dr. L. Michael White, Director of the archaeological excavations of the ancient synagogue at Ostia, Italy.

Often described as a first-century synagogue, the archaeological evidence tells a more complex and fascinating story.

Dr. White will explain how the Jewish community took over an existing complex built in the third century CE and transformed it into a lavish synagogue sometime after 350 CE. Destroyed by an earthquake in 443 CE, the synagogue was rebuilt after approximately 450–465 CE into a spectacular monumental structure.

What did it mean for a Jewish community to build such an impressive synagogue during an era when the Roman Empire was becoming increasingly Christianized?

Dr. White will also explore what the Ostia synagogue can reveal about Paul and the broader world of “common Judaism.”