Join our Community
Support ToI and remove all ads
Learn more

ISRAEL AT WAR - DAY 534

Byzantine era

Archaeologists examine a rare skeleton bound in iron rings found in the remains of a church some three kilometers northwest of Jerusalem. (Yoli Schwartz/Israel Antiquities Authority)
March 10, 2025, 4:14 pm
Chained in faith: 5th-century female skeleton may be world’s 1st self-mortifying Christian nun
Cutting-edge technology allows a team of Israeli researchers to determine that mysterious ironclad remains found in a church near Jerusalem belonged to a woman
By Rossella Tercatin
Archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem finished their second season of excavations at the Hyrcania fortress in the Judean desert in the West Bank in January 2025 in cooperation with the Staff Officer of Archaeology of Judea and Samaria. In the Byzantine compound, they uncovered a medallion mosaic which had been intentionally defaced with a column drum from the Herodian period. (Oren Gutfeld, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
February 20, 2025, 2:23 pm
Mikvehs and monks: Vivid hues link rare Jewish and Christian finds in Judean Desert
Archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem just concluded their second season of excavations at Hyrcania, where they found colorful Byzantine mosaics and Herodian frescoes
By Rossella Tercatin
The IAA excavation near Kiryat Gat showing an aerial view of the wine making operation, in an image released January 6, 2024. (Emil Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority)
January 6, 2025, 6:42 pm
Byzantine monastery with Bible-quoting mosaic floor unearthed in southern Israel
Discovered during expansion of new Kiryat Gat neighborhood, church site includes a wine press and a mosaic floor that contains a Deuteronomy quote in Greek
By Gavriel Fiske
Ship drawings discovered in the Rahat church excavation. (Yoli Schwartz/IAA)
May 23, 2024, 11:22 am
Pilgrims’ first stop: 1,500-year-old Byzantine-era ship etchings found at Negev church
Site, just south of the Bedouin city of Rahat, was likely the first inland stop for Christian pilgrims touring the Holy Land after arriving by sea at Gaza
By Gavriel Fiske
Tiny Byzantine glass weight discovered by the Temple Mount Sifting Project. (image, left: Zev Radovan, illustration: Razia Richman)
January 28, 2024, 11:20 am
Tiny weights hint at pre-Muslim Christian presence on Temple Mount – archaeologists
Byzantine-era coin weights, newly discovered in debris from the Jerusalem holy site, are of a type used in 6th century church settings
By Gavriel Fiske
A clay figure, the decorative end of a candle holder dated to the 6th-7th century, discovered south of the central city of Modiin by the Lavi family, February 18, 2023. (Courtesy of the Lavi family)
February 21, 2023, 6:19 pm
Family comes face to face with 1,400-year-old decorative clay figure
Lavi family finds artifact on hike in central Israel; IAA says Byzantine-era item is a candle holder, finding is ‘typical,’ though not all candles had such ornaments
By Michael Horovitz
A mosaic floor uncovered in a Byzantine era church found near Jericho. (Civil Administration)
January 12, 2023, 5:27 pm
Spectacular Byzantine church mosaics uncovered near Jericho
Building appears to have been large house of prayer that survived iconoclasm during early Islamic period and later earthquake; to be relocated for preservation, display
By ToI Staff
A hoard of gold coins found at the Banias archaeological site. (Dafna Gazit/Antiquities Authority)
October 3, 2022, 11:07 am
Dozens of pure gold coins discovered in secret cache dating from Muslim conquest
44 pieces found hidden in base of wall at Banias archaeological site; apparently stored by owner fleeing invaders 2,500 years ago with the hope of one day recovering the treasure
By Stuart Winer
Palestinians clean around a Byzantine-era mosaic floor that was uncovered recently by a farmer in Bureij in central Gaza Strip, Sept. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
September 16, 2022, 5:33 pm
Unearthed Byzantine mosaic hailed as one of Gaza’s greatest archaeological treasures
Discovered and painstakingly excavated by an olive farmer planting a tree, find sparks excitement among archeologists, but also concern it could be damaged in conflict-ravaged zone
By Fares Akram
Ashdod municipal police officers Sagiv Ben Gigi and Eitai Dabosh (Shira Lifshitz/Israel Antiquities Authority)
February 22, 2022, 12:45 pm
Beach-combing police find 1,500-year-old marble pillar near Ashdod
Believed to once have been part of a Byzantine era church, massive artifact likely exposed during recent winter storms
By Amanda Borschel-Dan
Palestinian boys play in an ancient cemetery reportedly dating back to the Roman-era which was unearthed during construction work in Gaza City on January 31, 2022. (Mahmud HAMS / AFP)
February 1, 2022, 6:38 am
Gaza bulldozers uncover ancient Roman-era burial site; some antiquities carted off
Reports say locals have been plundering site in recent weeks; archeologists say find likely points to a nearby Roman temple or a Byzantine church
By AP
A boy looks at the remnants of a Byzantine church during the inauguration of Mukheitim archaeological site in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on January 24, 2022. (Mahmud HAMS / AFP)
January 25, 2022, 12:36 am
Restored 5th-century Byzantine church reopens in Gaza
Mosaics depicting animals, hunting scenes, palm trees adorn floor; Hamas says project shows it’s ’embracing its Christian brothers’
By AFP
1,600-year-old mosaic uncovered during archaeological excavations in Yavne (Assaf Peretz/Israel Antiquities Authority)
April 26, 2021, 9:49 am
1,600-year-old multicolored mosaic with geometric motifs uncovered in Yavne
Whitish patina covering the flooring initially led archaeologists to think it was plain tiling; experts say it may have been part of a ‘splendid residential building’
By ToI Staff
Illustrative: In this August 12, 2017 photo, James Alex Fields Jr., center left, holds a black shield in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a white supremacist rally took place. Fields was later charged with second-degree murder and other counts after authorities say he plowed a car into a crowd of people protesting the white nationalist rally earlier in the day. (Go Nakamura via AP)
March 5, 2021, 8:16 am
Why the US far-right is obsessed — but very wrong — about the Byzantine Empire
White supremacists and QAnon enthusiasts often display medievalist imagery in rallies and riots; what is behind their adoption of the archaic Eastern Roman Empire?
By Roland Betancourt
Circa 400 CE Byzantine church excavated at Banias Nature Reserve. (Yaniv Cohen)
October 28, 2020, 12:16 pm
Ancient church found where Jesus said to tell Peter to establish Christianity
4th-century church, one of earliest in Israel, was built atop temple to Pan at spot in Banias where New Testament says Peter saw Jesus as Messiah, was told to spread his teachings
By Amanda Borschel-Dan
Load More
Sign in or Register
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Or Continue with
By registering you agree to the terms and conditions
Register to continue
Or Continue with
Log in to continue
Sign in or Register
I forgot my password / Send me a sign in link
Or Continue with
check your email
Check your email
We sent an email to you at .
It has a link that will sign you in.
Never miss breaking news on Israel
Get notifications to stay updated
You're subscribed
image
Register for free
and continue reading
Registering also lets you comment on articles and helps us improve your experience. It takes just a few seconds.
Already registered? Enter your email to sign in.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Or Continue with
By registering you agree to the terms and conditions. Once registered, you’ll receive our Daily Edition email for free.
Register to continue
Or Continue with
Log in to continue
Sign in or Register
I forgot my password / Send me a sign in link
Or Continue with
check your email
Check your email
We sent an email to you at .
It has a link that will sign you in.