In a Galilean village just eight miles (12.5 kilometers) northwest of Tiberias, archaeologists unearthed an extraordinary mosaic floor inside a fifth-century synagogue. Among the vivid scenes depicted is an armored elephant, an unexpected image in a region where elephants never roamed. This site, Huqoq, is now considered home to some of the most significant archaeological discoveries in Israel in recent decades, finds that have revealed fascinating truths about Jewish life during the late Roman and Byzantine periods. Led by Professor Jodi Magness of the University of North Carolina, the excavation project (2011–2023) revealed a synagogue floor adorned with richly detailed mosaics portraying both biblical and non-biblical scenes. Some are familiar: Samson carrying the gates of Gaza, Jonah being swallowed by
