With the capitals lifted and set atop the columns, the synagogue begins to feel like a building.  Heavy timbers - squared and dimensioned to span the capitals - are positioned across the colonnade. These beams have to be thick and sturdy to support the cross timbers of the lower roof as well as carry the stone wall and windows of the upper (clerestory) roof.  Once these elements are in place, three rows of benches are hewn out of the bedrock.

Three stages of synagogue roof construction. Timbers in foreground are being leveled prior to setting them into the wall, while those on the right have been set and treated with tar to resist decay.  The next set of beams will be laid across the open span on the left, one end supported by the colonnade and the other set across the outer wall.

The lower roof provides a work platform to construct the clerestory walls and upper roof. A silhouette begins to emerge of a 1st Century Synagogue, the first true reconstruction of its kind. 

Upon completing the walls, colonnade, and roof, the interior of the synagogue is plastered with a two-layer technique commonly used in the 1st  Century.  The 1st “base coat” is lime and sand, mixed with wood ash to improve adhesion to the wall.  The second layer is a fine white finish layer of lime and quarry sand, giving a bright and durable finish to the interior. The synagogue floor is also plastered, using a mixture of lime, ash and gravely sand to make it insulative, water absorbent, and provide good traction.