- UNESCO
- Free 1st Sunday
Photo: Mac9, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
- Type
- Archaeological site
- Style
- Ancient Roman architecture
- Coordinates
- 41°44′56″ N, 12°17′19″ E
- Address
- Viale dei Romagnoli, 717 - 00119 Roma (RM)
History and description
The Ostia Synagogue is an ancient former Jewish synagogue and archaeological site, located in ancient Ostia, the seaport of Imperial Rome, in modern-day Lazio, in Italy. It is one of the oldest synagogues in the world, the oldest synagogue in Europe and the oldest mainstream Jewish synagogue yet uncovered outside the Land of Israel. The synagogue building dates from the reign of Claudius (41–54 AD) and continued in use as a synagogue into the 5th century AD.
Architecture
There is a scholarly debate about the status of the synagogue building in the 1st century AD, with some maintaining that the building began as a house only later converted to use as a synagogue, and others arguing that it was in use as a synagogue from the 1st century.
In its earliest form, the synagogue featured a main hall with benches along three walls; a propylaeum or monumental gateway featuring four marble columns; and a triclinium or dining room with couches along three walls. There was a water well and basin near the entryway for ritual washings. The main door of the synagogue faces the southeast, towards Jerusalem.
An aedicula, to serve as a Torah Ark, was added in the 4th century AD. A donor inscription implies that it replaced an earlier wooden platform donated in the 2nd century AD, which itself had been replaced by a newer Ark donated by one Mindus Faustus in the 3rd century AD.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Ostia Synagogue».
Photos
Getting there
Parco LeonardoTrain, nearest
5.7 km as the crow flies
Ostia SynagogueViale dei Romagnoli, 717 - 00119 Roma (RM)
Aeroporto di Roma-Fiumicino8.0 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore archaeological sites in Lazio
- Free 1st Sunday
- Free 1st Sunday
- UNESCO
Frequently asked questions
Where is Ostia Synagogue?
Ostia Synagogue is in Fiumicino, in the province of Roma (Lazio), Italy. Address: Viale dei Romagnoli, 717 - 00119 Roma (RM). GPS coordinates: 41.74889, 12.28861.
What else is there to see near Ostia Synagogue?
Nearby you’ll find: Baths of Musiciolus (100 m away), Baths of the Porta Marina (200 m away), Mitreo dei marmi colorati (200 m away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 9 photos
- Ostia antica 20250406 002 — Mac9, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Menorah symbol at Ostia Antica synagogue — Ethan Doyle White, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ostia Antica Synagogue 161 — Setreset, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ostia Antica Synagogue floor 174 — Setreset, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ostia Antica Synagogue menora column 175 — Setreset, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ostia Antica Synagogue Menora — Daniel Ventura, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ostia Antica Synagogue the BAMA — Daniel Ventura, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ostia Antica Synagogue the floor — Daniel Ventura, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Synagogue at Ostia Antica — Ethan Doyle White, CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences