For the past few months, workers have been digging the site of a new development in the city of Kiryat Gat in the south of Israel, about 42 miles southwest of Jerusalem. As they dug deeper into the ground, historical artifacts and relics started to surface, spurring an official excavation by the Israel Antiquities Authority.
A few weeks later, the excavations revealed a hidden cultural treasure. Buried under layers of mud, rocks, and roots were the remains of a previously unknown Byzantine monastery dating to the period between the 1st and the 5th centuries, with a perfectly preserved biblical inscription.
At the end of the excavation, archaeologists revealed the remains of at least 10 buildings, including the monastery, a winepress, and a large warehouse building. This suggests that the site was once an important urban settlement.
According to Shira Lifshitz and Maayan Margulis, excavation managers on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, the monastery was built at an important crossroad between the mountains and the coast, serving both travelers and local inhabitants.
“This is the largest and most significant Roman and Byzantine period site uncovered in this area,” the researchers explained in a press release. “The findings indicate a succession of settlements starting from the early Roman period (1st century) and through until the end of the Byzantine period (end of the 6th century).”
The monastery’s mosaic floor, decorated with elaborate geometric patterns, floral motifs, and symbolic imagery such as crosses, lions, doves, and amphorae, was carved with the biblical inscription: “Blessed are you when you come in and blessed are you when you go out” (Deuteronomy 20:6).
As explained by Mark Avrahami, Head of Artistic Conservation at the Israel Antiquities Authority, the newly discovered mosaic is “one of the most notable ever found in Israel.”
Archaeologists are now at work to transfer the mosaic, made with a varied color palette including some remarkable shades of blue, to an open area to make it available to the public.
According to Svetlana Talis, Director of the Southern Region at the Israel Antiquities Authority, the discovery of the site highlights the historical richness of the city of Kiryat Gat and its surroundings, evidence that the region played a central role in antiquity.
