A spectacular 1,600-year-old mosaic, one of the most impressive ever discovered in southern Israel, was unveiled to the public in the Western Negev.
The colorful mosaic, discovered about 35 years ago south of Kibbutz Urim, near the Gaza Strip, recently underwent conservation in cooperation with the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Israeli Ministry of Heritage, and is now publicly displayed for the first time, in the Merhavim Regional Council’s headquarters.
The Be’er Shema (Birsama) mosaic - one of the most impressive mosaics discovered in the south of the country - presents 55 medallions decorated with hunting scenes, animals and scenes of everyday life. Over the past few months it underwent conservation by the Israel Antiquities Authority, and was transferred to the Council’s offices for display. This was executed in the context of the "Antiquities Right at Home" project of the Israeli Ministry of Heritage and the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The mosaic presentation was inaugurated on Sunday, in the presence of Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, Merhavim Regional Council Head Shai Hajaj, and Israel Antiquities Authority Director Eli Escusido. The ceremony was held with students from local schools and with neighboring community members, who enjoyed the vibrant event featuring archaeological activities, creativity booths and planting new seedlings out in nature.
The mosaic was discovered in 1990 in agricultural areas south of Kibbutz Urim, at the outskirts of Khirbat Be'er Shema. Following this, an archaeological excavation was conducted by Dan Gazit and Shaike Lender on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority. It was then covered to preserve it intact.
“This is a unique mosaic from the Byzantine period (324-638 CE),” says Shaike Lender. “It presents 55 richly detailed medallions - with mythological characters, baskets of fruit, exotic animals, scenes from everyday life, hunting scenes and more. The mosaic was clearly made by the hand of a true artist. It is comprised of small mosaic stones in a variety of colors, combined with glass and pottery to infuse it with variety.”
The mosaic was a feature within a large monastery, one which earned its sustenance by wine production. The excavation of the complex uncovered a large winepress and warehouses with storage jugs, which were produced on site.
“It seems that the ancient road upon which this settlement was sited served as a kind of border between the desert and the inhabited part of the country - during the Byzantine period, and perhaps serving as such even earlier, during the Roman period. This road is actually the ancient Nabataean-Roman spice trail through the desert - at this point, on the axis connecting Halutza in the Negev with the port of Gaza. The excavation showed that this was indeed a large settlement, on the order of several hundred dunams, that served travelers needing a safe place to spend the night, offering protection from potential attacks by raiders from the local Bedouin tribes.”
“Over the ensuing years since its discovery, the mosaic floor’s state of conservation deteriorated. Given this situation, actions were taken. It was re-exposed, treated and strengthened, and transferred from its original exposed location to the Merhavim Council's enclosed compound. Now, it is fully protected from agricultural and development work, and at long last, it is presented to the public to appreciate,” says Ami Shahar, Conservation Department Head at the Israel Antiquities Authority. “Upon completion of our expert team’s intensive efforts, the results enable the public to view and appreciate a spectacular 1,600-year-old work of art.”
According to Eli Escusido, Israel Antiquities Authority Director, “The event was held as part of the ‘Antiquities Right at Home’ project developed and managed by the Israel Antiquities Authority and the Israel Ministry of Heritage, which seeks to make the legacies of the past extant in urban areas to be accessible to the public. Especially in these days, it is of great importance to reveal historical gems in the Gaza Envelope region (Otef), such that they will be visitor attractions and increase traffic to this vital area. This new site will serve the public as an open archaeological garden. Explanatory signs, an access road and seating areas were integrated into the site. I now invite the public to enjoy and to form their own impressions of one of the most beautiful mosaics ever seen here in Israel’s South, here in the northwestern Negev."
Merhavim Regional Council Head Shay Hajaj adds: “This beautiful mosaic, a living testimony to life that existed in the Negev some 1,500 years ago, will be preserved here and become a focal point for visits and learning — for tourists, students, and residents from across the country. It is another chapter in the story we are writing here in Merhavim — a story that connects past, present, and future.”
