A 1,600-year-old multicolored mosaic featuring motifs has been uncovered in Yavne, the Antiquities Authority announced Monday.
The artifact, dating back to the Byzantine period, will be displayed in the city’s cultural center in a joint initiative by the IAA, the Yavne Municipality and the Israel Lands Authority.
The mosaic was unearthed during a salvage excavation in preparation for the construction of a new neighborhood. According to Israeli law, a salvage excavation must be conducted prior to any construction project.
During the work, archaeologists found the remains of an ancient industrial area that functioned for several centuries. When they first spotted the mosaic, they thought it might be part of the structure. But they came to a different conclusion as they realized its level of refinement.
“At first, we did not realize that the floor is multicolored,” IAA archaeologists Dr. Elie Haddad and Dr. Hagit Torgë said in a press release. “We assumed that it was simple white mosaic paving belonging to yet another industrial installation. But black patches dotted around the mosaic suggested that it was more than one color and prompted us to remove the whitish patina that had coated it for years.
“The conservation director went to work cleaning the mosaic with a special acid, and to our astonishment, a colorful mosaic carpet was revealed, ornamented with geometric motifs.”
The pavement probably belonged to a magnificent house in a residential area near the industrial zone, they said.
Yavne played an important role in Jewish history. According to rabbinic tradition, in the first century CE, Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai snuck out of Jerusalem, which was under Roman siege.
He managed to reach Gen. Vespasian and revealed to him that he would soon become emperor. When his prediction was fulfilled shortly afterward, the new Caesar offered the rabbi a reward.
Rabbi Yohanan asked for Yavne to establish a school to study Torah. The Sanhedrin, the great Jewish assembly, was also relocated to Yavne.
“Archaeological preservation and awareness of the past are important values in the life of the city of Yavne, which has a magnificent history,” Yavne Mayor Zvi Gur-Ari said. “In an age of progress and accelerated development in all fields of life, future generations should also be able to see how the city has evolved throughout history.
“We will continue to work with the Antiquities Authority to ensure public access to the finds and continued research and understanding of the city’s past and its historical importance.”