may have been a synagogue has also been unearthed in 2015. Large parts of a marble slab shattered into pieces and inscribed in Aramaic was found inside this building, and two words were deciphered shortly after the discovery: "amen" and "marmaria"; the latter, literally 'marble', has been interpreted by some scholars as perhaps linked with the cult of the Virgin Mary, possibly meaning 'Maria's [great] rabbi', since 'mar' means rabbi. The scholars who excavated the fragments assume that the marble tablet initially measured some 120 by 60 centimetres. They describe the inscription as being in Hebrew, at least 1,600 years old, and consisting of eight lines commemorating a man (or several) from Tiberias who has (or have) made a donation for the building that included marble. The tablet was set into the floor and was surrounded by a simple opus sectile. It is the only such marble tablet ever found (as of 2015) in an ancient synagogue in Israel or the Golan Heights. The inscription is the first to indicate that the settlement at Kursi was Jewish or Judaeo-Christian. See also Kathleen Kenyon References External links Kursi National Park, National Parks Authority (new website) Kursi National Park, National Parks Authority (old website) Archaeological Sites in Israel, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ancient inscription points to Jewish past for early Christian site: the ancient village, port, synagogue and inscription. The Times of Israel, 21 December 2015 (accessed June 2020). 5th-century establishments in the Byzantine Empire Christian monasteries established in the 5th century Buildings and structures demolished in the 8th century Classical sites on the Golan Heights Former populated places on the Golan Heights National parks of Israel Byzantine sites in Asia Byzantine sacred architecture Ancient Jewish settlements of Galilee Sea of Galilee Monasteries of the Byzantine Empire Christian monasteries in Syria New Testament places Gospel of Mark Gospel of Matthew Gospel of Luke Demolished buildings and structures in Syria Ruins in Syria