Archaeological Sites in Israel-No 7
Israeli Missions Around The World MFA Israel Experience History Archaeological Sites in Israel-No 7

Archaeological Sites in Israel-No 7

  • 11/18/2003
  •  
     
     ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES NO. 7
     INTRODUCTION | BEIT ALPHA | BEIT SHE'AN | APOLLONIA-ARSUF |
     NEBI SAMWIL | QUMRAN | RAMAT RAHEL |
     
         
    Archaeological Sites in Israel
    by Hillel Geva
     
        Recent Archeological Discoveries

    MOUNT OF OLIVES - A Monastery

    On the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives, near the road connecting Jerusalem and Jericho, a monastery dated to the Byzantine-Early Islamic period (5th to 8th centuries) was uncovered. The building complex included a church, dining hall, bathhouse, stables and an elaborate water system. It may have served pilgrims as a last way station before entering Jerusalem. A mosaic inscription (in Greek) on the dining room floor reads: In the days of Theodoros the priest and father of the monastery, and the monk Kiriakos this work was accomplished.

    KASTRA - An Ancient Bread Seal

    A bread seal from the Late Roman-Byzantine period was found in excavations at Kastra. It bears the word Seventh and was probably used in the Shmitta (sabbatical) year. According to Halacha (Jewish religious law) the fields of the Land of Israel have to lie fallow every seventh year, and crops have to be specially handled.

    BANYAS - Marble Head of a Child

    In excavations of a palace at Banyas (see also Cumulative Table of Contents, p. 44), the marble head of a child, measuring 30 x 30 cm., was found. According to the excavators, the palace belonged to King Agrippas II, grandson of King Herod. Josephus Flavius wrote that Titus stayed at this palace after the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE.

     
     
    Contents

    1. Beit Alpha - An Ancient Synagogue with a Splendid Mosaic Floor
    2. Beit She'an - A Biblical City and Scythopolis - A Roman-Byzantine City
    3. Apollonia-Arsuf - A Crusader City and Fortress on the Mediterranean Coast
    4. Nebi Samwil - Site of a Biblical Town and a Crusader Fortress
    5. Qumran - Center of a Jewish Sect of the Second Temple period and the Dead Sea Scrolls found in caves nearby
    6. Ramat Rahel- A Royal Citadel and a Palace of the Last Kings of Judah

    7. Cumulative table of contents - Archeological Sites in Israel

     
          Credits

    Israel Information Center, Jerusalem
    2001
    No. 7

    Hillel Geva studied archeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, participated in excavations in the Jewish Quarter and the Citadel in Jerusalem, and is author of the entry "Jerusalem" in the New Encyclopedia of Archeological Excavations in the Holy Land and editor of Ancient Jerusalem Revealed.

    Map of the central area of the Beit She'an - Scythopolis excavations reproduced with permission of the Hebrew University Institute of Archeology: 16

    Plan of the Crusader fortress of Apollonia-Arsuf reproduced with permission of I. Roll, Tel Aviv University: 28

    Photographs courtesy of:

    I. Roll, Tel Aviv University: 29
    Staff Officer for Archeology, Judea & Samaria: 31, 33

    Photographs:

    Hebrew University Institute of Archeology: 21 (top), 25 (bottom)
    Israel Antiquities Authority: 4, 8, 10,13, 14, 15, 21 (bottom), 23, 24, 25 (top), 38, 40, 41, 42, 43, 48
    R. Nowitz: 20, 39
    Z. Radovan: 7, 17, 19, 22, 34, 36
    Duby Tal, Moni Haramati/ALBATROSS: Cover, 27

    Photographs of finds and artifacts published with permission of the Israel Antiquities Authority

     
     
     
  •