The exhibition also presents Huqoq as a thriving village that included a spring, farming installations, ritual baths and a hidden underground escape network.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Huqoq flourished as a Jewish village during the Roman and Byzantine periods, roughly between the third and sixth centuries CE.

Its synagogue, uncovered by a team led by Professor Jodi Magness of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, contains mosaics depicting biblical and other scenes unparalleled among Israel’s ancient synagogues.

The exhibition’s centerpiece is the original Samson mosaic, showing the biblical strongman carrying the gates of Gaza on his shoulders, a scene from the Book of Judges. It is displayed alongside photographs of the site’s other mosaics.

The exhibition also presents Huqoq as a thriving village that included a spring, farming installations, ritual baths and a hidden underground escape network.

It also displays, for the first time, a hoard of bronze coins found by Israel Antiquities Authority excavators inside the escape system, alongside a previously discovered ring and dagger.

“Secrets of Huqoq” is a joint project of Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund (KKL-JNF), the W.F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the U.S. government.

The exhibition is housed at the Yigal Allon Center Museum in Kibbutz Ginosar, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee overlooking the Huqoq archaeological site in Amiad Forest.

It serves as a temporary visitor center while preparations continue to open the site to the public.

Curator Dr. Einat Ambar-Armon said the exhibition offers visitors an early look at the site before it opens to the public.

“Since preparing the site itself for public visitation is expected to take several more years, our exhibition already serves as a first gateway to the village of Huqoq and to the archaeological and human story it reveals,” she said.

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Excavations also revealed a large hospitality complex near the church, including a hospice and a bathhouse with marble-lined tubs.

By TPS

Archaeologists excavating the ancient site of Nessana in Israel’s Negev Desert have uncovered the remains of a 1,400-year-old church whose elaborate mosaics and surrounding structures suggest the settlement once served as a major hub for Christian pilgrims traveling toward Mount Sinai.

The discovery at Nitzana National Park, led by researchers from Ben Gurion University of the Negev, provides new evidence that the desert settlement played a central role in the international pilgrimage networks connecting the Holy Land with the Sinai Peninsula during the Byzantine and early Islamic periods.

“We managed to expose, assisted by modern technology and digitization, the location of the church and its mosaic floor,” Prof. Yana Tchekhanovets of Ben Gurion University told the Press Service of Israel.

“The mosaic is the only thing that survived from the church. The rest was covered in concrete when the Ottoman rulers used the site as a logistical hub during World War I.”

The newly exposed mosaic floor features colorful geometric patterns, floral designs and decorative medallions created from small stones arranged in intricate designs.

According to the research team, the level of craftsmanship indicates that the building belonged to a wealthy religious complex that likely served both local residents and travelers passing through the desert.

According to Tchekhanovets, excavations also revealed a large hospitality complex near the church, including a hospice and a bathhouse with marble-lined tubs.

These structures point to organized services for visitors arriving at the settlement, she said.

“We have been studying the site of Nessana as a key site of ancient Christian pilgrimage,” Tchekhanovets said.

“It was a hub for pilgrims, the last point inside the Holy Land before the beginning of the desert road to Saint Catherine Monastery at Sinai, and it was flourishing in the 6th and 7th centuries A.D.”

The site lies along the main route connecting the Holy Land with Saint Catherine Monastery, one of the most important Christian pilgrimage destinations in the region, at the foot of what is traditionally identified as Mount Sinai, the site revered in biblical tradition as the place of divine revelation.

The new findings build on earlier discoveries from the site, including the Nessana Papyri, a collection of ancient documents found there about a century ago.

Tchekhanovets said combining the historical texts with the newly uncovered archaeological remains helps researchers reconstruct how people lived and traveled through the Negev more than a thousand years ago.

Ancient graffiti discovered at Nessana suggests that travelers reached the settlement from distant regions including Georgia and Armenia, Tchekhanovets said.

Among the most significant discoveries from the latest excavation season was a Greek inscription embedded in the church that dates the construction of the building to the early seventh century.

According to the researchers, this period corresponds with the height of activity at the settlement before political and economic changes altered the region’s role as pilgrimage declined under Muslim rule.

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Archaeologists uncovered a 1,600-year-old Samaritan estate in Kafr Qasim, featuring ornate mosaics, olive presses, and a purification bath that reveal both the prosperity and resilience of the community from the Roman to Byzantine periods.

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While parts of the mosaic have previously been moved to museums and storage, other fragments remain on-site in a fragile state.

By Sveta Listratov, TPS

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Antiquities Authority have launched an urgent operation to save the remains of a Byzantine church and its ancient mosaic floor at Horvat Grarit, located on the crumbling northern bank of HaBesor Stream.

The site, dating back to the 6th century, is at risk due to erosion and collapsing soil.

Horvat Grarit is associated with the monastery of the monk Silvanus, a central figure in monasticism in Gaza during the Byzantine period.

While parts of the mosaic have previously been moved to museums and storage, other fragments remain on-site in a fragile state.

“We are working against the clock to save the remaining artifacts. Teams are on-site, carefully preparing the remains for transfer,” said Orit Bortnik, Director of Archaeology and Heritage at the Nature and Parks Authority.

Ami Shahar, Deputy Director of Conservation Administration at the Antiquities Authority, added:

“The site tells the story of a once-active community. Saving these remains ensures that this historical narrative is not lost.”

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While most archaeological remains from the period focus on churches, monasteries, or infrastructure, this mosaic reveals that the community also invested in institutions with daily social functions.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Israeli archaeologists have uncovered what may be the world’s oldest known nursing home, following the discovery of a rare Greek inscription in the ruins of the ancient city of Hippos (Sussita), overlooking the Sea of Galilee.

The colorful mosaic, dating to the late fourth or early fifth century CE, was found at the entrance to a public building during recent excavations at Hippos National Park by archaeologists from the University of Haifa.

At its center, the mosaic bears the words “Peace be with the elders,” an inscription that researchers say likely points to the existence of a Byzantine-era institution specifically dedicated to the care of elderly residents.

“This is living proof that care and concern for the elderly are not just a modern idea, but were part of social institutions and concepts as far back as about 1,600 years ago,” said Dr. Michael Eisenberg of the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa, the excavation’s co-director.

The findings, published in the peer-reviewed journal Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, provide what the research team believes is the earliest archaeological evidence of a nursing home.

While written sources from the fifth and sixth centuries mention charitable institutions for the elderly, this is the first time physical remains have been discovered that can be directly linked to such a facility.

Hippos was the central Christian city of the Galilee region in the Byzantine period. Situated on a hilltop east of the Sea of Galilee, it served as a bishop’s seat and hosted at least seven churches.

The city, with its broad east–west boulevard and intersecting cardo streets, was a thriving religious, social, and economic hub. Excavations have been underway there since 2000, uncovering churches, bathhouses, and residences.

The newly uncovered mosaic was located near the intersection of Hippos’s two main streets, roughly 100 meters from the city’s central plaza, inside one of the surrounding residential blocks.

Researchers say its placement at the building’s entrance suggests the inscription was intended to be read by all who entered, directly addressing its elderly residents or visitors.

Ancient mosaics discovered at Sussita in northern Israel. (X Screenshot)

Dr. Eisenberg, along with Dr. Arleta Kowalewska of the Zinman Institute and Professor Gregor Staab of the University of Cologne, analyzed the inscription linguistically, stylistically, and in comparison with historical sources.

They also studied its surrounding iconography—images of Egyptian geese, cypress trees, fruits, and vessels. The careful decoration, combined with the text’s unusual dedication, supported their conclusion that the building served a communal purpose centered on elder care.

During the 2023–2024 excavation seasons, the mosaic was fully exposed and underwent conservation by expedition conservator Yana Qedem.

The team stressed that the direct reference to elders is highly unusual in ancient inscriptions, making the find all the more significant.

“This was a communal and spiritual institution integrated into the fabric of city life and reflecting the social values of the period,” the researchers explained.

“The inscription addresses a specific public directly, which is a rare glimpse into the daily lives of older people in antiquity.

It may provide one of the earliest material testimonies in the Holy Land, showing how the Christian community began assuming responsibilities for care that had previously been handled by family networks alone.”

The discovery sheds light on how Byzantine society perceived aging and elder care.

While most archaeological remains from the period focus on churches, monasteries, or infrastructure, this mosaic reveals that the community also invested in institutions with daily social functions.

“The find offers a tangible, dated, and clear indication of an institution designed for the elderly,” Dr. Eisenberg said.

“It shows that Byzantine society established not only religious centers but also places dedicated to dignity and care for its seniors.”

The researchers say further excavations may reveal more details about the building’s layout and function.

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This beautiful and enthralling mosaic from the Byzantine era showcases the artistry and influence of the empire in the region, with a nearby wine press and various jugs and pottery also uncovered at the excavation site.

The post WATCH: 1,600-year-old mosaic unveiled to public for first time appeared first on World Israel News.

i24NEWS correspondent Shaun Fitl reports on the finding of one of Gaza’s greatest relics – a mosaic found by accident.

The post WATCH: One of Gaza’s greatest relics discovered by chance appeared first on World Israel News.

According to the archaeologists, this is the first time that such a pavement has been uncovered in Yavne.

By World Israel News Staff

An impressive 1,600-year-old mosaic found during archaeological excavations in Yavne is to be placed on public display at the city’s cultural center, in a joint initiative launched by Yavne municipality, the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Israel Land Authority.

In recent years, the Israel Antiquities Authority has been conducting large-scale archaeological excavations to the southeast of Tel Yavne as part of the Israel Land Authority’s city development program. The excavations, directed by Dr. Elie Haddad, Liat Nadav-Ziv and Dr. Jon Seligman, unearthed an extensive industrial zone that was in operation for several centuries.

According to the archaeologists, this is the first time that such a pavement has been uncovered in Yavne, and its preservation is excellent. In their opinion, “The pavement may have been part of a splendid residential building in a wealthy neighborhood adjacent to the industrial zone.”

The mayor of Yavne, Zvi Gur-Ari, states that “archaeological preservation and awareness of the past are important values in the life of the city of Yavne, which has a magnificent history. In an age of progress and accelerated development in all fields of life, future generations should also be able to see how the city has evolved throughout history.

“We will continue to work with the Israel Antiquities Authority to ensure public accessibility to the finds and continued research and understanding of the city’s past and its historical importance.”

The multicolored mosaic pavement, dated to the Byzantine period (4th -5th century CE), was unearthed in archaeological excavations directed by Avishag Reiss of the Israel Antiquities Authority. The floor is decorated with colorful geometric motifs and has a black rectangular frame.

“At first, we did not realize that the floor is multicolored,” say Dr. Elie Haddad and Dr. Hagit Torgë. “We assumed that it was simple white mosaic paving belonging to yet another industrial installation. But black patches dotted around the mosaic suggested that it was more than one color and prompted us to remove the whitish patina that had coated it for years.

The conservation director went to work cleaning the mosaic with a special acid,” they added, “and to our astonishment, a colorful mosaic carpet was revealed, ornamented with geometric motifs.”

Once the mosaic had been documented, drawn and photographed in the field, it was removed and temporarily transferred to the Israel Antiquities Authority’s mosaic workshop at the Rockefeller Museum, where it has been treated and preserved by the authority’s conservation experts.

In cooperation between the Israel Antiquities Authority and Yavne municipality, which endeavors to make archeology accessible to the town’s residents, and with the assistance of the Israel Land Authority, a suitable location has been found for the mosaic – in the plaza near Yavne’s cultural center.

The municipality is currently preparing the infrastructure for the mosaic, for the benefit of Yavne’s citizens and the general public. The mosaic’s relocation and preservation will be carried out using ancient technological methods and employing materials similar to those used in antiquity. During the work, the site will be open to the public, thus enabling everyone to see and enjoy the conservation process and the gradual uncovering of the mosaic.

Archaeologist Diego Barkan from the Israel Antiquities Authority’s Tel Aviv District welcomes the fruitful cooperation between the Israel Land Authority and Yavne municipality. “I am happy that the mosaic will be displayed in a central location in the city, so that the values embodied in its heritage are preserved and made accessible to the general public.”

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Exquisite Roman mosaic floor returns to Israel after being displayed around the world to serve as centerpiece of new archaeological center in Lod.

By Paul Shindman, World Israel News

A huge chunk of a massive 1,700-year-old mosaic floor piece has returned home to Israel and will form the centerpiece of a new archaeological center in the central city of Lod, where it was first unearthed over 20 years ago.

As often happens in Israel, during construction of a new road in the city in 1996, workers exposed an area of exquisite Roman mosaic floors dating from the fourth century CE. The finely detailed ceramic work featured artistically crafted ships, fish, birds and animals including lions, tigers and elephants laid out in intricate geometric patterns that archaeologists estimate were part of a luxurious private mansion.

One segment was so spectacular in its artwork and preservation that it was removed from the site and toured the world’s great museums including the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Field Museum in Chicago, the Louvre in Paris, the Altes Museum in Berlin, Waddesdon Manor in England and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg in Russia.

Ancient mosaic floor in the city of Lod (Israel Antiquities Authority)

The piece of flooring has now returned home to Israel and was reconstructed at a new archaeological center in Lod, just south of Ben Gurion International Airport, where it will be open to the public-at-large some time in the first half of 2021.

The mosaic is considered one of the most beautiful ever unearthed in the country, and will join other archaeological finds in a new structure that was established in collaboration with the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Lod Municipality and the New York-based Leon Levy Foundation, which funded much of the project.

The floor of the ancient Roman villa was found to be exceptional in the quality of its construction, its contents and its state of preservation. The site is located in what was part of a wealthy neighborhood in Lod during the Roman and Byzantine periods.

Two other mosaics were found on the site. The three spectacular works of art will be displayed in the new visitor center named for donor Shelby White, who heads the foundation named after her late husband, Leon Levy.

Ancient mosaic floor in the city of Lod (Israel Antiquities Authority)

The mosaic is planned to be an attraction for tourists and Lod mayor Yair Revivo sees the archaeology center as part of the process of developing and upgrading his city.

“Very soon, our dream in a city that is entirely a mosaic of cultures, will come true before our eyes when one of the important museums that will place Lod on the national tourism map is inaugurated,” Revivo said. “There is no doubt that it will connect visitors to a tourist route that will include spectacular historical sites that we are restoring as part of the development of the Old City [of Lod].”

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The discovery of a magnificent Roman-era mosaic in the city of Lod was not completely unexpected, the dig director told World Israel News.

By: Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

While preparing to build an archaeological center in the city of Lod to house the remains of an enormous, 1,700 year old villa with sumptuous mosaic floors originally found there in 1996, a beautiful mosaic had been discovered just a few meters away, it was announced Sunday.

The original 17m. x 9m. mosaic was discovered accidentally under Lod’s garbage dump during the paving of a new road at the entrance to the city.

It is considered one of the largest and most impressive mosaics ever found in Israel, believed by its excavators in the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) to have covered the enormous house’s living room.

The original Lod mosaic also contained pictures of animals, sea monsters, merchant ships and geometric and floral patterns that were extremely well-preserved. However, none of the mosaics thus far discovered in the villa show a human image. This has led some to speculate that the owner of the villa was a Jew, for whom such pictures would have been forbidden.

Dr. Amir Gorzalczany, the IAA dig director who found the new mosaic, told World Israel News that this discovery was an expected one.

“In 2009, when the funding was found and we removed and preserved the mosaic found in 1996, we dug further and found a courtyard,” he explained. “We could only uncover part of it, though, because the street was covering the rest. Then, in 2014, the street was moved, and we found the rest of the courtyard and a reception room, with more mosaic work. But we couldn’t dig more because people lived there, and there was a parking lot. Now, though, the neighbors were building a protected room, and we got their permission to move the parking lot at the same time, so we found a third mosaic floor.”

Gorzalczany described the most recent find as a possible dining area.

“In three places there are rows of white mosaics laid out diagonally around a rectangular, decorated spot, and on one side you see a part where the rows change direction. Here we found impressions of what could be the legs of a chaise lounge, where two or three people could sit and eat. It’s like the owner went through the room and decided where his couches should be, and then the mosaic was laid to mark off those areas.”

More rooms in massive home to be discovered

He is sure that there are more rooms to be discovered, he said, though he hastened to add that this will only be when no one lives in the vicinity anymore. “We haven’t yet found the private living quarters,” he pointed out, “though they could have been on second floor that is no more.”

In an IAA press release, the dig director described the villa as luxurious, with the mosaic-paved courtyard showing signs of columns and remains of fresco wall paintings. “Thankfully, the main central panel of the mosaic was preserved. The figures, many similar to the figures in the earlier mosaics, comprise fish and winged creatures,” he said.

The most recent find, like its earlier counterparts, was carefully removed so that the Shelby White and Leon Levy Lod Mosaic Center could be constructed over the fourth-century home while preserving the newfound treasure.

It is expected that the museum will take two years to complete, at which time the floors will be returned so that visitors can see these archaeological treasures from the Roman period on the site.

Over a million people have already seen the first ancient floor, because it has traveled the globe since 2010. It has been exhibited in some of the world’s most prestigious museums, including the Louvre, New  York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, the British Museum and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. It finally returned home last April and is now being shown in Israel for the first time at The National Maritime Museum in Haifa.

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