The history of the small Jewish Community of Malta goes back to
the arrival of the Semitic Phoenician settlers over three
thousand five hundred years ago. It is believed that they were
accompanied by Israelite mariners from the seafaring tribes of
Zevulon and Asher. At the time in the city of Tyre lived
Princess Jezebel, who in 906BCE married the Jewish Sultan Omri’s
Ohab. After this marriage relations between the Jews and the
Phoenicians grew so warm and cordial that they began to sail the
seas and occupy various lands together. Some of them stayed in
our islands. The First Evidence We have evidence that at the
time the Phoenicians were occupying Malta, the first Jews landed
on Gozo and there they left behind the first signs of their
presence. You can find this near the inner apse of the southern
temple of Ggantija in Xaghra, one cannot fail to notice that on
the ground under your feet is scratched the first Jewish
evidence on Gozo. This Jewish evidence is an inscription in the
Phoenician alphabet, discovere