JEWISH WORLD

By ABIGAIL KLEIN LEICHMAN T he remains of a 1,500-year- old Byzantine monastery and church decorated with mosaic floors and imported marble elements are currently being uncov- ered during large-scale excavations conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority in Beit Shemesh with the help of more than 1,000 teenagers. “We were surprised by the won- derful state of preservation of the ancient remains, and the richness of the finds being uncovered,” said Benyamin Storchan, director of the excavations for the Israel Antiquities Authority. “The artifacts found in the large building, which seems to be a monastic compound, may indicate that the site was important and per- haps a center for ancient pilgrims in the Judean Shephelah [lowlands] region. We already know of a num- ber of ancient churches and monas- teries in the Judean Shephelah, but this one has outstanding preserva- tion.” Teams working since last sum- mer have uncovered the remains of walls built of large worked stone masonry, as well as architectural elements including a marble pillar base decorated with crosses and marble window screens. Storchan said the marble artifacts were brought from the region of Turkey and further inland by wagon. “In one of the rooms we uncov- ered a beautiful mosaic floor deco- rated with birds, leaves and pome- granates,” he added. The archeologists do not know why the site was abandoned in the seventh century CE. More than 1,000 teenagers from schools and pre-military academies have participated in the excavation. Hadas Keich, 16, a student at the Sde Boker Field School, explained: “We searched for a way to fundraise for our class trip to Poland, and we decided to take part in the archaeo- logical excavations. Little by little we uncovered exciting finds, which helped to connect us to our country and its history. Amazing what is hidden here beneath our feet.” Abigail Klein Leichman is a writer and associate editor at Israel21c. JEWISH WORLD • JANUARY 26 - FEBRUARY 1, 2018 15 Ancient Monestery Uncovered Remains of 1,500-year-old Byzantine church found at Beit Shemesh REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK Photo of the mosaic floor and excavations.