http://www.timesofisrael.com/byzantine-mosaic-unearthed-in-southern-israel/
Byzantine mosaic unearthed in southern Israel Excavating
ahead of the construction of a new interchange, archaeologists uncover
the ornate floor of a public building from 1,500 years ago By Matti Friedman
May 12, 2013, 3:33 pm
6
A
detail of the mosaic floor of a Byzantine-era building recently
unearthed in southern Israel (photo credit: Israel Antiquities
Authority/Yael Yolovitch)
Related Topics
- archaeology
- IAA Israel Antiquities Authority
- Byzantine era
An exquisite 1,500-year-old
mosaic has come to light in an excavation in southern Israel, the Israel
Antiquities Authority announced Sunday.
The mosaic appears to have been the floor
of a public building in a thriving Byzantine-era village on the site,
near the modern-day kibbutz of Beit Kama. The precise role of the
building in the life of the community is unknown.
The
community, located along an ancient road leading north from Beersheba,
also included a church, storerooms and pools for storing water.
Artists decorated the floor of the building
with geometric patterns and depictions of birds like peacocks and doves.
What makes the mosaic unique, beyond the high level of craftsmanship,
is “the large number of motifs that were incorporated into one carpet,”
according to the IAA statement.
The
precise role of the building in the life of the community is unclear
(photo credit: Israel Antiquities Authority/Yael Yolovitch)
In Byzantine times, the area around modern-day
Beit Kama was home to both Christian and Jewish communities. At two
other sites, Horbat Rimon and Nahal Shoval, archaeologists have
unearthed ritual baths, signs of Jewish settlement.
The excavation is being conducted to allow the construction of a new traffic interchange.
Subject: Byzantine mosaic unearthed in southern Israel 
Thu May 16, 2013 9:13 pm
