Sixth-century Byzantine church uncovered near Jericho

Massive, well-preserved church believed a major site for the Christian population in the Land of Israel prior to the Muslim conquest
Elisha Ben Kimon|
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A well-preserved Byzantine church was found on Wednesday near the West Bank city of Jericho by the archeology department of the Civil Administration.
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  • According to the governing body, which administers parts of the territory on behalf of the Israeli government, the church was likely built during the 6th century and stood through the early Muslim period. No signs of iconoclasm – the act of vandalizing religious idols and statues – were seen in the church despite Muslim laws banning depictions of human figures in public spaces.
    The church
    (Video: Civil Administration)
    The Civil Administration added that the church spanned over some 250 square meters (2,700 square feet), which must have made it a major site for the Christian population in the Land of Israel prior to the Muslim conquest.
    Unlike other churches that were destroyed by an earthquake in 749, the church was abandoned prior to the quake and its entrance was blocked.
    2 View gallery
    הפסיפס שהתגלה
    הפסיפס שהתגלה
    Mosaic discovered in the church
    (Photo: COGAT spokesman)
    A three-meter-long epigraph was found at the entrance to the church, written in Greek and containing five lines of text hailing Georgios and Nonnos who were likely patrons of the church.
    The church’s nave was almost entirely preserved and includes an intricate mosaic showing vines morphing into medallions with animals. Marble columns and bitumen-made grates also testify to the opulence of the church, seeing as those building materials were challenging to acquire.
    2 View gallery
    הפסיפס, מבט מהאוויר
    הפסיפס, מבט מהאוויר
    Aerial view of the church
    (Photo: COGAT)
    The Civil Administration said they intended to move the findings to be presented at the Good Samaritan Museum near Jerusalem.
    “The Civil Administration sees great importance in finding antiquities and will continue to work to produce archeological digs in order to continue to uncover the past,” it said in a statement.
    Head of the Civil Administration's archeology department Hananiah Hizami said that “I am excited about the amazing historical find, that joins a number of discoveries made by the Civil Administration’s archeology department. We’ll continue to work to discover and preserve the history of Judea and Samaria.”
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