A Video on Jewish Presence in Roman and Late Antique Malta

A video examining the presence of Jews in Malta during the Roman period highlights several Jewish tombs incorporated into what are today known as St. Paul’s Catacombs. The existence of these tombs, some marked with menorah carvings, confirms the presence of a Jewish community in Malta by at least the third century CE. Archaeological evidence further suggests that these burial complexes continued to be used until the seventh century and possibly into the early eighth century, that is, up to the period preceding the Muslim attacks on the islands.

The presence of Jewish funerary inscriptions and symbols strongly indicates that a Jewish community existed in Malta before the third century CE, even though the surviving material evidence can be securely dated only from that period onwards. The menorahs carved into the rock are of particular significance, as they serve as unequivocal markers of Jewish identity and funerary practice within the late Roman Mediterranean world.

The video also explains why these catacombs were located outside the city walls of Roman Melite, in accordance with Roman law, which prohibited burial within the city limits. It explores the likely identity of those buried there. It considers why Jewish families chose to carve menorahs into the stone, a practice well attested in Jewish catacombs elsewhere in the Roman Empire.

The creator further addresses the broader question of why Jews settled in Malta, situating the community within established Mediterranean trade and mobility networks. However, several questions necessarily remain open. While the presence of Jewish tombs implies the existence of at least one synagogue on the island, its location, whether near the burial grounds or within the urban centre, remains archaeologically unattested.

Equally important is the clarification that these catacombs were burial spaces, not places of refuge or concealment. If the tombs had served as hiding places, the deliberate carving of prominent religious symbols, such as the menorah, would be difficult to explain. Instead, the evidence points to publicly affirmed religious identity, not secrecy. As with many late antique burial complexes, the catacombs provide valuable insight into communal life and spiritual practice, while simultaneously leaving key aspects, such as the organisation and spatial layout of the Jewish community, unresolved.