1,500-year-old church discovered in Israel dedicated to mysterious 'Glorious Martyr'

[Keit]

Just stumbled upon this curious news item. Any ideas who is this "Glorious Martyr"? Because I can think of only one "glorious martyr" worthy of such a church! But this is probably way off mark.

Who was the 'Glorious Martyr' of Ramat Beit Shemesh church?

1,500-year-old church discovered in Ramat Beit Shemesh, dedicated to mysterious 'Glorious Martyr'.

www.israelnationalnews.com

An ancient Byzantine-era church, complete with a floor mosaic and Green inscriptions, has been discovered in Ramat Beit Shemesh, with a mysterious dedication to an unnamed “Glorious Martyr”.

Who was the “Glorious Martyr” immortalized by the Greek inscription, in whose memory this magnificent church was built and later enlarged under the patronage of the Byzantine Emperor Tiberius II himself?

 

[Laura]

I don't recall anything from the histories of Procopius and his continuators though there were quite a few things written about those times that could be related. Also remember that was the time of the comet impacts that took down Rome and most of Europe plus Justinians' Plague.

 

[Chad]

Some images of the church for those who don't have chance to watch the video above from a Times of Israel article, plus i think there may be some additional images now shown:

Opulent 1,500-year-old church to mystery ‘glorious martyr’ found at Beit Shemesh
Site yields rare intact crypt of anonymous martyr immortalized by Greek inscription; Jerusalem museum exhibit of findings showcases massive collection of delicate glass artifacts

Opulent 1,500-year-old church to mystery ‘glorious martyr’ found at Beit Shemesh

By Amanda Borschel-Dan 23 October 2019, 11:41 am 1

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  The Eagle, symbol of the Byzantine Empire, discovered at a Byzantine-era church complex in Ramat Beit Shemesh, October 2019. (Asaf Peretz, Israel Antiquities Authority)
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  Director of Excavation, Benjamin Storchan, at the crypt’s entrance at the Ramat Shemesh Byzantine-era church. (Yoli Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority)
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  Thousands of youth participated in the excavation in Ramat Beit Shemesh over the past three years. (Asaf Peretz, Israel Antiquities Authority)
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  Unique cross-shaped baptismal font in the Byzantine-era church in Ramat Beit Shemesh. (Asaf Peretz, Israel Antiquities Authority)
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  Greek inscription in the floor of the Byzantine-era church in Ramat Beit Shemesh, October 2019. (Asaf Peretz, Israel Antiquities Authority)
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  Mosaics exposed from the floor of the Byzantine-era church in Ramat Beit Shemesh, October 2019. (Asaf Peretz, Israel Antiquities Authority)
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  Site of the church exposed in Ramat Beit Shemesh, October 2019. (Asaf Peretz, Israel Antiquities Authority)
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Fifteen hundred years ago, Christian pilgrims flocked to an opulent basilica church near Beit Shemesh built with donations from the Byzantine emperor himself in honor of a mysterious “glorious martyr,” the Israel Antiquities Authority said Wednesday.
“The martyr’s identity is not known, but the exceptional opulence of the structure and its inscriptions indicate that this person was an important figure,” said excavation director Benjamin Storchan in the IAA press release.

The church compound, 1.5 dunam or just over a third of an acre in size, has a rare intact underground crypt that once presumably contained the relics of the anonymous martyr immortalized in a Greek inscription at the site.
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The crypt was such a tourist draw that it was, unusually, reached by two impressive staircases.



The Eagle, symbol of the Byzantine Empire, discovered at a Byzantine-era church complex in Ramat Beit Shemesh, October 2019. (Asaf Peretz, Israel Antiquities Authority)

A stone quatrefoil (four-leaved) crucifix baptismal font was discovered at the site. It is a design that is less common to Byzantine-era Holy Land sites but is found throughout the empire, including in North Africa. Among the colorfully intricate fruit, flora and fauna mosaic designs is the imperial eagle, which alongside an inscription detailing the donation of Emperor Tiberius II Constantine (574-582 CE), ties the site to the sprawling Byzantine empire.


“Imperial involvement in the building’s expansion is evoked by the image of a large eagle with outspread wings – the symbol of the Byzantine Empire – which appears in one of the mosaics,” said Storchan.
The three-year salvage excavation of the glorious martyr site was conducted by the IAA and a corps of some 5,000 youth volunteers ahead of the construction of a new neighborhood in Ramat Beit Shemesh.

Two staircases that led pilgrims to and from the crypt at the Byzantine-era church in Ramat Beit Shemesh. (Asaf Peretz, Israel Antiquities Authority)

The circa NIS 7 million ($2 million) project of excavation and documentation is financed by the Construction and Housing Ministry and the CPM Corporation and has spurred an exhibit at Jerusalem’s Bible Lands Museum, which is opening Wednesday night.
Among the artifacts on display are examples of numerous delicate glass objects. The press release calls the assembly “the most complete collection of Byzantine glass windows and lamps ever found at a single site in Israel.” Additionally, the Bible Lands Museum will present some of the 300 intact Abassid-period clay lamps discovered at the site.

Mosaics exposed from the floor of the Byzantine-era church in Ramat Beit Shemesh, October 2019. (Asaf Peretz, Israel Antiquities Authority)

Ahead of the exhibit opening Wednesday, Bible Lands Museum director general Amanda Weiss said in a statement, “We are proud of our collaboration with the Israel Antiquities Authority bringing to light these important new finds for the thousands of visitors from all faiths ages and nationalities, inviting them to appreciate the rich cultural heritage of the Land of Israel.”
The church was initially erected circa 543 CE under the reign of Emperor Justinian in the 6th century CE (527-565). A chapel was added under Emperor Tiberius II Constantine.


Thousands of youth participated in the excavation in Ramat Beit Shemesh over the past three years. (Asaf Peretz, Israel Antiquities Authority)

According to the IAA release, the church’s walls were painted with colorful frescoes and it was decorated with “lofty pillars crowned with impressive capitals.” The basilica was a long building with three sections that were divided by two rows of columns. It included a central nave flanked by two halls, according to the press release, and an atrium greeted pilgrims at the church’s entrance. The inscription to the “glorious martyr” is found in this courtyard.
But it is its subterranean layer that is of most interest to tourists, past and present: Few of the excavated churches in Israel have preserved, fully intact crypts, said Storchan.


Director of Excavation, Benjamin Storchan, at the crypt’s entrance at the Ramat Shemesh Byzantine-era church. (Yoli Schwartz, Israel Antiquities Authority)

“The crypt served as an underground burial chamber that apparently housed the remains (relics) of the martyr. The crypt was accessed via parallel staircases – one leading down into the chamber, the other leading back up into the prayer hall. This enabled large groups of Christian pilgrims to visit the place,” said Storchan.
According to Storchan, a Greek inscription details that Emperor Tiberius II Constantine supported the expansion of the glorious martyr’s church.


Greek inscription in the floor of the Byzantine-era church in Ramat Beit Shemesh, October 2019. (Asaf Peretz, Israel Antiquities Authority)

“Numerous written sources attest to imperial funding for churches in Israel; however, little is known from archaeological evidence such as dedicatory inscriptions like the one found in Beit Shemesh,” said Storchan.


Mosaics exposed from the floor of the Byzantine-era church in Ramat Beit Shemesh, October 2019. (Asaf Peretz, Israel Antiquities Authority)

 

[angelburst29]

More photos of the Byzantine-era church in Ramat Beit Shemesh:

Byzantine church of 'glorious martyr' uncovered in Israel

The elaborate mosaics in the church depict themes from nature such as leaves, birds and fruit and have been cleared by archaeologists to reveal exquisite detail.

The church is one of the few with fully intact crypts to be found in Israel's limits

Most of the construction of the church began during the reign of Emperor Justinian, who ruled between 527-565, the archaeologists said.

Researchers said the 'exceptional opulence' of the church (pictured is one of its mosaics) suggested it had been dedicated to someone very important, although they don't know who.


Another archaeological site has been opened up to the public recently in Italy, which also contains some beautiful mosaics and marble.

Ancient Roman home reopens in Herculaneum after 36-year wait

One of Italy's most beautiful ancient Roman houses, which was buried under tonnes of ash when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD 79, has reopened to the public 36 years after it was shuttered in disrepair.

Using innovative techniques, a team of restorers have saved the sumptuous artwork in the so-called Bicentenary House, a three-storey building in Herculaneum which, like its more famous neighbor Pompeii, was devastated by the nearby volcano.

The house was initially discovered in 1938 and was given its name because it was the 200th anniversary of excavations that had revealed the existence of the long-lost city.

“It’s a jewel in this site and the opening of it today really marks a great occasion for the whole revival of the site and for this piece of heritage, which is unique in the world,” said Leslie Rainer, an expert at the Getty Conservation Institute, which helped on the project.

A much smaller city than Pompeii, Herculaneum’s ruins are more dense and better preserved because they were buried in a much deeper mass of ash, which deterred thieves. It was also a wealthier place resulting in particularly striking remains.

Bicentenary House was home to Gaius Petronius Stephanus and his wife Calantonia Themis. It was one of the city’s finest private houses, with well-preserved mosaic floors and frescoes depicting mythological scenes and architectural and animal motifs.

The house gave onto Herculaneum’s main street and the entrance had a sliding wooden grill, which survived the volcanic inferno. “It is 2,000 years old. It is one-of-a-kind with its delicate decorations,” said Domenico Camardo, chief archaeologist at the Herculaneum Conservation Project.

Like many houses in Pompeii, the Bicentenary House suffered years of mismanagement and dilapidation, forcing its closure in 1983 when it was declared unstable.

“It closed ... because of problems of decay and neglect, not caused by anything traumatic like a civil war or an earthquake. Just by the failure of the public system to do everyday maintenance,” said Jane Thompson, who oversees the Herculaneum Conservation Project.

A previous restoration did more harm than good, covering the frescoes with a material that was meant to protect the colors and images but in the end contributed to them flaking away.

The conservation team worked out a way to safely remove the harmful veneer and save the ancient artwork beneath. “It was an occasion to develop new, innovative materials and methods for conservation that can be used in the site and elsewhere,” said Rainer, explaining that other frescoes at the site had been covered by the same, damaging coating.

House of the Bicentenary - AD79eruption

I wanted to show these wooden coffins that were displayed a week ago in Egypt. It's not often recent discoveries are showcased in Egypt.
Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, Zahi Hawass, seems to be very discrete in announcing new discoveries?

Egypt unveils trove of ancient coffins excavated in Luxor

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Painted ancient coffins are seen at Al-Asasif necropolis, unveiled by Egyptian antiquities officials in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor on Saturday. (Reuters)

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Tourists look at painted ancient coffins at Al-Asasif necropolis, unveiled by Egyptian antiquities officials in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt October 19, 2019. (Reuters)

Mostafa Waziri, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, says the coffins were for men, women and children from the
22nd dynasty (945 B.C. 715 B.C.)

LUXOR: Egypt revealed on Saturday a rare trove of 30 ancient wooden coffins that have been well-preserved over millennia in the archaeologically rich Valley of the Kings in Luxor.

The Antiquities Ministry officially unveiled the discovery made at Asasif, a necropolis on the west bank of the Nile River, at a press conference against the backdrop of the Hatshepsut Temple. “This is the first discovery in Asasif by dedicated Egyptian hands, comprised of archaeologists, conservationists and workers,” head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Al-Waziri, told reporters.

The 30 ornately decorated coffins of men, women and children were found only 3 feet underground, stacked in two rows. They are believed to belong to family members of high priests.

Waziri explained that excavations of the site in the 19th century had revealed royal tombs, but this latest discovery had yielded a collection of priests’ burials.

The sarcophagi date back to the 22nd Dynasty, founded around 3,000 years ago in the 10th century BC. Despite their age, black, green, red and yellow paintings of snakes, birds, lotus flowers and hieroglyphics that cover the coffins are still clearly visible.

“We only did remedial first-aid on these well-preserved coffins. They are considered to be in great condition because there were hardly any settlements” around the site, local Antiquities Ministry restorer Saleh Abdel-Gelil told AFP.

Archaeologist Zahi Hawass: ‘There isn’t a country that doesn’t love Egyptian archaeology’

Egyptian Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Anany looking at recently found ancient colored coffins with inscriptions and paintings, in the city of Luxor. (AP)

CAIRO: World-renowned Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass has affirmed the importance of Egyptian archaeology around the globe.
“There isn’t a country that does not love Egyptian archaeology,” Hawass, who was minister of state for antiquities affairs, told Arab News.

With only 30 percent of Egyptian monuments discovered, Hawass said there was no rush to pursue the remaining 70 percent which remain hidden underground.

“We don’t want to discover everything. We want to start by preserving and preparing the historical monuments which we have discovered, then start thinking about what is still undiscovered,” Hawass said. So, restoration and preservation are the main goals for now.

Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass. (AFP)