Ancient Christian Church Discovered Between Jerusalem and Tel-Aviv

Suzette Gutierrez-Cachila : Jun 11, 2015
United With Israel

A baptismal font in the form of a four-leafed clover symbolizing the cross was installed in the chapel's northeast corner. -News Staff

(Israel)—The upgrading and widening of the highway connecting Jerusalem to Tel Aviv has led to the discovery of a large Byzantine-era road station and church on the ancient route, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced Wednesday. (Photo via United With Israel)

The 1,500-year-old site lies next to a steep spring known as Ain Naqa'a, located on the outskirts of Moshav Bet Neqofa. The church measured at about 16 meters in length and includes a side chapel that is 6.5 meters long and 3.5 meters wide with a white mosaic floor.

A baptismal font (bapisterium) in the form of a four-leafed clover symbolizing the cross was installed in the chapel's northeast corner. Fragments of red-colored plaster found in the rubble, strewn throughout the building, indicate that the church walls had been decorated with frescoes.

To the west of the church were rooms that were probably used as dwelling quarters and for storage. One of them contained a large quantity of pottery tiles. The excavations yielded numerous finds, testifying to intensive activity at the site. These included oil lamps, coins, special glass vessels, marble fragments and mother-of-pearl shells. (Photo via United With Israel)

"The road station and its church were built in the Byzantine period beside the ancient road leading between Jerusalem and the coastal plain," explained Annette Nagar, director of the IAA excavation team. "Along this road, which was apparently already established in the Roman period, other settlements and road stations have previously been discovered that served those traveling the route in ancient times."