Israel discovers remains of 1,500-year-old well-preserved monastery

JERUSALEM, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- The remains of a 1,500-year-old (Byzantine Period) well-preserved monastery decorated with mosaic floors and imported marbles are being uncovered during large-scale excavations in central Israel's Beit Shemesh.

"We were surprised by the wonderful state of preservation of the ancient remains, and the richness of the finds being uncovered," Benyamin Storchan, director of the excavations for the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), said Wednesday.

The excavation is being conducted prior to the expansion of Beit Shemesh, funded by the Ministry of Construction and Housing, and implemented by the CPM Corporation managed by Anatoly Snider.

"The artifacts found in the large building, which seems to be a monastic compound, may indicate that the site was important and perhaps a center for ancient pilgrims in the Judean Shephelah region," said Storchan.

"During the excavation, we uncovered the remains of walls built of large stone masonry and a number of architectural elements including a marble pillar base decorated with crosses and marble window screens," he said.

"The marble artifacts were brought from the region of Turkey and further inland by wagon. In one of the rooms we uncovered a beautiful mosaic floor decorated with birds, leaves, and pomegranates," Storchan noted.

"We already know of a number of ancient churches and monasteries in the Judean Shephelah, but this one has outstanding preservation," he added.

Until now, only a small percent of the monastery has been uncovered, which was abandoned in the 7th century for unknown reasons, according to IAA.

Since the beginning of the excavation during the summer, over 1,000 teenagers from different groups, mostly schools and pre-military organizations, have also participated in the excavation. Enditem