Introduction

One of the most intriguing questions surrounding the history of Iberian Jews concerns the date the children of Israel first settled and established a community on the Iberian Peninsula.

With the aim of ruling out any assertion too much resembling legend, along with the need to base our claims in archeological or epigraphic documents, we call to attention St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, dated A.D. 54. In the letter the apostle reveals his interest in coming to the Peninsula to preach. This would seem to confirm the presence of organized Jewish communities on the Peninsula, given the fact that Christianity was still at that time a small sect struggling to gain a foothold among Jews and Jewish proselytes.

The coin collection provides facts and traces to substantiate the claim of a Jewish presence in Catalonia well before the destruction, in 70 A.D, of the Temple in Jerusalem. Moreover, a fruitful excavation in ancient Ampurias has uncovered Judean coins dating from the first fifty years of the Common Era. In addition, in Lluro (now Mataró) objects pertaining to Judean lawyers and dating from the same period as the coins have also been unearthed (1).

The epigraphic sources that we know of—a scarce amount of which have been located—refer us to the first century A.D., especially an engraved amphora housed in the Ibiza Museum. (2).

The scarce archeological remains point to the Synagogue of Elche, dating back to the fourth century. At this time early Christian forms of worship had yet to break from Jewish traditions forbidding figurative or fresco representations. Thus, it is possible that the Synagogue of Elche represents a transitional edifice between Judaism and Christianity. This may have been one of the causes that led experts such as the German Schlunk to vacillate at different moments as to whether the edifice had served as a synagogue or as a basilica.

This is all we possess of Jewish archaeology.

Only a religious building with distinctive features could induce us to suppose that we find ourselves before what we have called “Jewish archeology”. These features would, moreover, meet the demands set by the Tosefta which require synagogues to have a façade oriented toward Jerusalem, with two windows allowing for the passage of light that had already passed through the Sacred City.

In 1996, an investigation began in a building with precisely these characteristics, located in Barcelona at the corner of Marlet and Sant Domenech Streets in the old Jewish Quarter. This building not only meets the requirements laid out by the Tosefta, but it also coincides with a book kept by tax collector Jaume Colom, whose collection route terminated right in front of the Old Synagogue in the “Call Jueu” (Jewish Call).

After two archeological digs, findings were submitted to the architect Joan Albert Adell I Gisbert. In an erudite work about the building façade´s topographical orientation towards Jerusalem, Dr. Adell writes:

“This wall breaks with the orientation of the “Insulae” and has an oblique trace which seeks a clear N-S alignment. It is as if it corresponded to a building seeking orientation between the four cardinal points, absolutely rejecting the topographic urban alignment of Barcino of N.W-S-E”. (3).

Medieval Era

The Structure of the Wall Surface.

The archeological excavation does not contribute any new knowledge to the existent building in the medieval era. It does document much later building activity such as the construction of the well and the balsa of the tub, yet this is beyond the scope of the present report.

Surface analysis of the existing walls, which may be considered as the lower or ground floor level, seems irrelevant due to the huge material mix that forms the walls. The mix is of very diverse origin and is arranged in an anarchical manner. Moreover, these types of construction—the vaults and some of the windows—are typical of the 17th century.

The wall faces of the most westerly-situated room do not present the sort of constructive elements that would admit the claim that its walls date back to before the 17th century. However, it is clear that the wall on Marlet Street (to the south) follows the line of the M3 and M4 walls which, as we have seen, do pertain to the ancient construction.

On the other hand, the east wing room presents clear indications that the M4 wall was raised and extended to the east, forming an angle that recovers the old Roman alignments. The result is a new wall—the M6 wall—formed by well-cut stones in the shape and size of paving stones arranged in very uniform lines. This kind of surface was very common in 16th century Barcelona. Buildings such as the Palacio Real Mayor (Main Royal Palace) in the Arcs of Tinell, the churches Santa Maria de Pedralbes and Santa Maria del Mar, and the chapels of the Royal Chapel of Santa Agata were constructed using this technique.

This constructive model already appears in monuments from 13th century Barcelona. Examples are the church at the Sant Pau del Camp Monastery, the Comanda Templera de Palau, and some parts of the Palacio Episcopal.

The kind of surface that we find in Marlet Street resembles 13th century building forms more than 14th century models in which this type of wall face is never the sole constructive feature. We therefore can admit the claim that the late-Roman building underwent significant renovation in the 13th century.

It was then that the building definitively acquired its current alignment on Marlet Street. The façade on this street has a clearly defined base with untouched parameters. In typical 17th century fashion, the upper part of the façade the surface is a mix of reused elements such as some voussoirs, possibly from doors, which due to their small size leads us to believe they pertain to the 13th century. In the wall forming the façade on San Domingo del Call Street, the same kind of surface can be observed though in a very altered state. More likely than not, it is a 17th wall from built predominantly with materials appropriated from the 13th century construction.