by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Archaeologists excavating in southern Israel have uncovered a unique Byzantine-era ((5th-6th centuries AD) mosaic floor with a Scripture from the Bible’s Book of Deuteronomy, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.
Announcing the find on Monday, the Israel Antiquities Authority said the mosaic was part of a large Byzantine-era monastery complex unearthed next to the southern city of Kiryat Gat, TOI reports.
In its statement, the IAA said the mosaic floor depicts “crosses, lions, doves, an amphora (a ceramic maritime shipping jug), [and] flowers and geometric patterns” in tiny stones. At the center of the floor is the Biblical inscription: “Blessed are you when you come in, and blessed are you when you go out” (Deuteronomy 28:6).
The IAA said the monastery site is “the largest and most significant site discovered in the region” from the period. The complex also has a “sophisticated” wine press and evidence of a local pottery industry, including “detritus typical of a ceramic factory, garbage pits, misshapen vessels that were flawed in production, and even a number of vessels unique to this site,” the IAA said in its statement.
The mosaic will be transferred to the IAA’s mosaic workshop for preservation and will later be returned to Kiryat Gat for future public display, TOI reports.
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