A team of experts from Israel, Morocco and France unearthed artifacts at a synagogue illustrating the past life of a small Jewish community in Morocco.
The ruins of the synagogue, located in the small village of Tamanart in the Atlas Mountains, were discovered during an initial investigation of Jewish sites in the area.
During their search, the team also conducted interviews with locals who recalled their Jewish neighbors - a population who left that area of Morocco around 70 years ago.
According to the team, Jews lived in that part of Morocco from the 16th century until the early 19th century, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
The researchers recovered several artifacts in the area from past Jewish life - including a number of scriptures, documents and Kabbalist amulets from the synagogue, Haaretz reported.
Although the synagogue was damaged by flooding and looters, the team managed to salvage some texts from the site, Orit Ouaknine-Yekutieli, an expert on contemporary Morocco who teaches at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, explained.
News of the findings arrived weeks after Morocco’s ruler, King Mohammed VI, ordered the renewal of hundreds of Jewish sites across the country.