• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

EL GHRIBA SYNAGOGUE & TORAH

August 14, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Djerba, Tunisia

Djerba oldest Torah

Sanctuary of El Ghriba Synagogue (wikipedia.com)

The extremely ancient Jewish community of Tunisia is one of the oldest Israelite colonies outside of the Eastern Mediterranean region.  In fact, other than the Israelites of Palestine, Egypt and Mesopotamia, it may be the world’s oldest Jewish community.  If this is indeed the case, than it would also be among the oldest continuous Jewish population in the world, though it has dwindled in recent years to less than two thousand people.  Though the El Ghriba Synagogue only dates back to the 19th century AD, its congregation traces its roots at least as far back as the 6th century BC.  This claim, surprising as it may seem, may actually be true based on the history and geography of the Mediterranean, as well as on the Tunisian Jews’ most prized possession: what is believed to be the world’s oldest Torah.

History

During the days of the divided kingdoms, the people of Israel and Judah found themselves constantly at odds with its neighbors on all sides.  To the north were the Syrians who warred constantly with Israel.  To the south was Egypt, whose frequent forays into Canaan wreaked havoc in the region.  To the east were the rump states of Ammon, Moab and Edom, whose pagan rites and sinful ways made them natural enemies of the Twelve Tribes.  To the west were the Philistines, who perpetually tested the mettle of Judah.  Only in one place did the Israelites find peaceful neighbors: to the northwest, in Phoenicia.

From the earliest days of the Israelites in Canaan, relations between them and the Phoenicians had been cordial.  The kings of Phoenicia developed strong ties with Israel during the days of Solomon.  This was particularly true of the tribes of Asher, Naphtali and Zebulun.  These northern tribes learned the trades of shipbuilding and navigation from the Phoenicians, and became the first seagoing Israelites.  When the Phoenicians settled Carthage and the North African coast, it is highly probable that Israelites were among them.

In any event, there was certainly a Jewish community in North Africa at the time of the Roman conquest of Carthage.  Over the centuries, the Jews of North Africa seemed to have been spared most of the ravages and persecutions of their brethren in the east.  It is perhaps for this reason that the congregation of El Ghriba possesses a Torah scroll that has survived since pre-Islamic times, possibly even pre-Vandal, times.

For the most part, they had the good fortune of living under a succession of tolerant foreign rulers, and many Jews found refuge in North Africa after being driven from other lands, notably from Spain in the 16th century.  However, in the wake of World War II, after perhaps twenty-five centuries in the area, the Jews of North Africa were no longer welcome.  Despite the fact that most of region’s Jewish population survived the Nazi occupation, the ensuing rise in anti-Semitism led the majority of the population to depart.  From a pre-war population of one hundred thousand, less than two thousand now remain.  Though not the only surviving synagogue, El Ghriba and its precious Torah scroll is the most important and the center of Tunisia’s ever-dwindling Jewish community.

Visiting

The current incarnation of the El Ghriba Synagogue was built in the 1800s, but according to tradition occupies the same spot as the original synagogue constructed in ancient times.  The layout and design of the beautiful synagogue are strongly influenced by the Moorish style typical of the area.  The exterior of the synagogue is a deceptively simple white-washed stone building, with little to hint at either its purpose or the stunningly beautiful sanctuary within.

The interior of the synagogue is an impressive structure of columns, arches and high ceilings, all decorated in fantastic tilework.  Originally the synagogue had both an enclosed and an open prayer area in the manner of a mosque.  But the open prayer area was eventually enclosed as well, providing a much larger interior sanctuary.  According to tradition, a stone in one of the archways was originally part of the altar of Solomon’s Temple, brought to North Africa by Jews fleeing from the Babylonian Captivity.  The synagogue’s greatest treasure, what is generally considered to be the world’s oldest hand written Torah scroll, is kept closely guarded and is not always available for public viewing.

The city of Djerba is descended from an ancient Phoenician settlement on a small island just off the coast of southern Tunisia, nearly two-hundred and fifty miles south of the capital of Tunis.  Getting to Djerba requires at least part of a trip by plane or ferry.  There are generally no restrictions on visiting the Djerba Synagogue, but ever since a terrorist bombing there in 2002 security has been heightened, especially on the Jewish holidays.  As of this writing, no visitor information was available for this site.  Web: Not Available

Other Sites

Although most of Tunisia’s Jews are now gone, their relatively recent departure means that much of their old community is still intact, including many of the synagogues.  The Jewish Cemetery of Djerba may be the oldest in North Africa.

Filed Under: Historic Bible, Historic Synagogue, Jewish Tagged With: Africa (North)

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2025 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.