Archaeologists uncover rare 14th-century Spanish synagogue

MADRID (AP) — Archaeologists in the southern Spanish town of Utrera confirm they have uncovered a 14th-century synagogue hidden within a building that was later converted into a church, hospital and most recently a bar. Archaeologist Miguel Ángel de Dios told journalists on Tuesday that “the first thing to confirm is the presence of the prayer room.” The only hint of the Jewish temple’s existence came from a priest and historian who wrote in 1604 that a hospital now stood on a site where Jews used to pray. De Dios said that “we have been able to recover those essential parts of that synagogue.” There are a tiny handful of medieval synagogues surviving in Spain including in the cities of Toledo and Cordoba.