TABIL - SOUVENIR SHEET
This souvenir sheet was issued to mark the International Stamp Exhibition. The souvenir sheets depicts the floor mosaic of the ancient Bet Alfa synagogue showing an allegorical illustration of the sun surrounded by the twelve signs of the Zodiac.
Bet Alfa, located at the base of Mt. Gilboa in the eastern Jezreel Valley, may be the site of the ancient town of Hilfa. The remains of the Bet Alfa synagogue were discovered in 1929 during excavations sponsored by Hebrew University. The entire floor of the synagogue is paved with mosaics, one of which is depicted in the souvenir sheet. According to an Aramaic inscription found near the synagogue entrance, the mosaics were made during the reign of Emperor Justin (518-527 CE).