An ancient Byzantine church with elaborate and well-preserved mosaic floors has been unearthed near the West Bank city of Jericho by the Civil Administration, the Israeli governing body that operates in the West Bank.
The church has been the focus of weeks of excavations by the Civil Administration's archaeology unit, part of the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, which falls under the Israeli Ministry of Defence.
The site was found in Al-Jiftlik village, that is located around 20 miles north of Jericho in Area C. Israel controls civil matters in the Palestinian neighbourhood, including infrastructure and planning.
The church was constructed some time during the sixth century, likely during the reign of the Emperor Justinian, and was large, of around 250 square metres.
Notably, the church building was very expensive because it seems to have been at least partly made out of materials that cannot be found in the surrounding area, like marble and black bitumen stone. These would have had to be transported from some distance away.
The sanctuary's entrance has a three-metre-long Greek inscription, mentioning individuals – Georgios and Nonus – who helped build the church.
It also seems to have survived the calamity of the earthquake that struck the area in 749 AD, which famously destroyed churches and monasteries throughout the region. Despite this, the nave is almost completely preserved and is covered with a mosaic depicting vine braids and animal figures.
The head of the Civil Administration's archeology department Hananiah Hizami said: “I am excited about the amazing historical find, that joins a number of discoveries made by the Civil Administration’s archeology department. We’ll continue to work to discover and preserve the history of Judea and Samaria.”
Following its discovery, the Civil Administration now plans to replicate the mosaic in order to display it at their Good Samaritan museum site.
Currently on display in the museum, off the highway connecting Jerusalem to the Dead Sea, are archaeological remains, including beautiful mosaics from the Byzantine period.
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