Thursday 3 April 2014

Archaelogy: Byzantine Monastery Excavated In Negev, Israel

by Benson Agoha

A 6th Century Byzantine monastery has reportedly been discovered in an Israeli village.

The discovery in Hura, a Negev Bedouin village in the South District is located near Beersheba.
The village was reportedly established in 1989 as a part of solution offered to the negev population, and was declared a local council in 1996.

According to the Times of Israel the discovery in northern Negev was revealed to the public on Tuesday.

The monastery was excavated near the entrance to the Bedouin village of Hura by the Israel Antiquities Authority. It was uncovered during the construction of a new interchange on the road to the village.
One of the Greek inscriptions found on the mosaic floor of a 6th-century Byzantine mosque near Hura, in the Negev. (photo credit: Menahem Kahana/AFP)* The mosaic floor of a 6th-century Monastry with Greek inscriptions found near Hura, in the Negev, Israel.      

"The floor of the prayer hall is decorated with leaves in different colors, framed by three borders with three different patterns," ToI said, while "the floor of the dining hall is decorated with colorful birds, pitchers, amphorae, baskets, flowers, leaves and other geometric shapes, with a diamond-shaped pattern in the background."

The Mosaic floors bearing colorful designs, Greek inscriptions found during roadwork near Bedouin village of Hura.

There were also ther discoveries as along with the floors, various objects were excavated at the site including pots, bowls and other pottery; glass objects, and coins.
The new site is not yet opened to tourists and will be transfered to another location for viewers, ToI said.

* Follow me on Twitter(follow): @bensonagoha and @woolwichonline.

*  Photo Credit: MK/AFP/ToI.
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