Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a significant Christian monastery dating back to roughly 1,500 years ago at a site in Israel.
The remains include a remarkable colorful mosaic floor with an inscription written in Greek—taken from the Book of Deuteronomy—that translates roughly to: “Blessed are you when you come in and blessed are you when you go out.”
The monastery dates to the 5th–6th centuries A.D. during Israel’s Byzantine era. In this time period, which lasted from the early 4th century to the early 7th century, Israel was part of the Eastern Roman Empire—now commonly referred to as the Byzantine Empire.
The monastery’s mosaic floor features depictions of crosses, lions, doves, an amphora (a type of container vessel used in antiquity), flowers and geometric patterns. In its center lies the ancient inscription written in Greek, a language that was widely used in the region at the time the monastery was constructed, particularly in religious and administrative contexts.
“The mosaic discovered in Kiryat Gat is one of the most unique ever found in Israel,” Mark Avrahami, head of artistic conservation at the IAA, said in the statement.
From a Facebook post by Archbishop Atallah Hanna, عطا الله حنا.
This verse was found inscribed in Greek on many of the entrances of Eastern houses left from that period, a beautifully expressive verse, especially when placed above the entranceways.
The Discovered Abbey is a huge complex, comprising an olive and wine wine wine cemetery, and storage rooms where an assortment of ancient dishes and coins were found, and the mosaic also contains a range of symbols such as crosses, pigeons, lions and jars.
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