The Late Medieval Synagogue of Lorca (Murcia): An Evaluation and Some New Directions after 15 Years of Research

Abstract

The discovery of a late medieval synagogue in the castle of Lorca (Murcia) was one of the main archaeological references in the study of the religiosity of Hispanic medieval Jewish communities in recent years. Its good state of preservation, from an archaeological perspective, and the fact that it had not later been transformed into a church, allowed us to identify clearly the most significant elements that characterized these types of religious buildings. Research carried out since then has highlighted different aspects of each of its parts. This brief study focuses on the new data obtained during the last phase of archaeological fieldwork carried out between 2010 and 2012.