VILNIUS, LITHUANIA—According to a report in The Baltic Times, the bases of two columns have been uncovered at the site of the Great Synagogue of Vilna, which was built in 1633 and burned down by the Nazis during World War II. It was formerly one of the most important centers for Jewish worship in Eastern Europe. Lead archaeologist Jon Seligman said the columns, which originally stood about 30 feet tall, were part of the bimah, a raised central platform where the rabbi stood to read the Torah. Inscriptions placed on the walls near the bimah were also uncovered. The inscriptions reference scriptures including the Book of Genesis and the Psalms. To read about previous excavations at the synagogue and the discovery of the ritual baths there, go to "World Roundup: Lithuania."
