A rare, colorful mosaic dating from the 2nd-3rd century was recently uncovered in the ancient port city of Caesarea, located halfway between Tel Aviv and Haifa. It is one of the few extant examples of mosaics from the time period in Israel and its craftsmanship is compared by archaeologists to the fine artistry found in Antioch.
During work on an expansion of Caesarea National Park in what is arguably Israel’s largest conservation and reconstruction project to date, the mosaic was discovered under an opulent commercial structure from the Byzantine period. According to archaeologists Dr. Peter Gendelman and Dr. Uzi ‘Ad, directors of the excavation for the Israel Antiquities Authority, the mosaic predates the shopping structure by some 300 years and was once part of an even earlier building from approximately 1,800 years ago.
According to the archaeologists, the mosaic measures 3.5 x 8 meters and is “of a rare high quality” comparable to that of Israel’s finest examples from Lod or Tzippori’s Mona Lisa.
During work on an expansion of Caesarea National Park in what is arguably Israel’s largest conservation and reconstruction project to date, the mosaic was discovered under an opulent commercial structure from the Byzantine period. According to archaeologists Dr. Peter Gendelman and Dr. Uzi ‘Ad, directors of the excavation for the Israel Antiquities Authority, the mosaic predates the shopping structure by some 300 years and was once part of an even earlier building from approximately 1,800 years ago.
According to the archaeologists, the mosaic measures 3.5 x 8 meters and is “of a rare high quality” comparable to that of Israel’s finest examples from Lod or Tzippori’s Mona Lisa.
