Ancient Royal Estate Where the Apostle Philip Baptized the Ethiopian Eunuch Opens in Israel

News Staff : Jan 31, 2018
Timesofisrael.com

"We believe that some early Christian commentators identified Ein Hanya as the site where the Ethiopian eunuch was baptized, as described in Acts 8:26-40." -Dr. Yuval Baruch

(Israel)—[Times of Israel] Israeli authorities inaugurated a nature park on Wednesday near Jerusalem after five years of archaeological excavations at Ein Hanya, the second-largest spring in the Judean Hills and a key site in the history of Christianity. Along with an announcement that the park will open to the public free of charge within months, the Israel Antiquities Authority revealed some major findings at the site, including a column capital typical of royal structures from the First Temple era and one of the oldest coins ever discovered in the Jerusalem area. (Photo: Byzantine-era pools discovered at the site of Ein Hanya, near Jerusalem, and revealed to the public on January 31, 2018/credit: Assaf Peretz/Israel Antiquities Authority/via Times of Israel)

Excavations and conservation and development work were conducted between 2012 and 2016 at the site, which is part of the Rephaim Valley National Park and located beyond the Green Line but within Jerusalem's municipal boundaries. (Photo: A structure discovered at the site of Ein Hanya, near Jerusalem, and revealed to the public on Wednesday, January 31, 2018/credit: Assaf Peretz/Israel Antiquities Authority/via Times of Israel)

"The result is an extraordinarily beautiful site incorporating archaeology, an ancient landscape and a unique visitor experience," the IAA said in a statement...

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