Archaeologists with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) have discovered the ruins of a Byzantine-period monastery with a colorful mosaic floor and a Greek inscription, an ancient wine press and other buildings at Kiryat Gat, Israel.
IAA archaeologists cleaning the ancient mosaic of a Byzantine-period monastery at Kiryat Gat, Israel. Image credit: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority.
“This is the largest and most significant site discovered in the region from the Roman and Byzantine periods,” IAA archaeologists Shira Lifshitz and Maayan Margulis said in a statement.
“‘Blessed are you when you come in and blessed are you when you go out (Deuteronomy 20:6).’ This is what was written on a colorful monastery floor uncovered in a large excavation, conducted prior to establishing a new neighborhood north of the modern city of Kiryat Gat.”
The researchers uncovered the remains of at least ten buildings, including the monastery, the wine press and a large warehouse building.
“The monastery is dated to the Byzantine period (5th-6th centuries CE), and it is part of an ancient site that already existed during the Roman period and continued for approximately 600 years,” they said.
“The monastery and its environs included a great quantity of imported ware, coins, marble elements, metal and glass vessels, all attesting to the rich and significant community living here.”
“The monastery’s mosaic floor features crosses, lions, doves, an amphora (a ceramic maritime shipping jug), flowers and geometric patterns.”
The team also uncovered a sophisticated winepress, which was built and repaired several times over the years.
The mosaic flooring of the fermentation rooms and the collecting vat integrated blue and white stones.
The northern collecting vat floor is built of slabs, upon some of which can be still be seen Greek letters, which served as masonry marks for the winepress builders.
All of these features indicate that building and developing this winery involved significant financial resources, time, and a range of professional work and effort.
“The early settlement is sited on a central road junction connecting the mountain region to the coastal plain,” the scientists said.
“It apparently served the area’s smaller settlements as well as travelers passing by.”
“This is the largest and most significant Roman and Byzantine period site uncovered in this area.”
“The findings indicate a succession of settlement starting from the early Roman period (1st century CE) and through until the end of the Byzantine period (end of the 6th century CE).”
