by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Archaeologists excavating in southern Israel have uncovered a unique Byzantine-era ((5th-6th centuries AD) mosaic floor with a Scripture from the Bible’s Book of Deuteronomy, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.
Announcing the find on Monday, the Israel Antiquities Authority said the mosaic was part of a large Byzantine-era monastery complex unearthed next to the southern city of Kiryat Gat, TOI reports.
In its statement, the IAA said the mosaic floor depicts “crosses, lions, doves, an amphora (a ceramic maritime shipping jug), [and] flowers and geometric patterns” in tiny stones. At the center of the floor is the Biblical inscription: “Blessed are you when you come in, and blessed are you when you go out” (Deuteronomy 28:6).
The IAA said the monastery site is “the largest and most significant site discovered in the region” from the period. The complex also has a “sophisticated” wine press and evidence of a local pottery industry, including “detritus typical of a ceramic factory, garbage pits, misshapen vessels that were flawed in production, and even a number of vessels unique to this site,” the IAA said in its statement.
The mosaic will be transferred to the IAA’s mosaic workshop for preservation and will later be returned to Kiryat Gat for future public display, TOI reports.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
A Christian pastor detained in Nicaragua since July 2025 has been released from prison but placed under house arrest along with five other Christian believers, Worthy News established on Thursday.
An injured Christian pastor in eastern India says recalling Bible verses gave him strength to survive hours of brutal abuse by a Hindu mob that accused him of converting Hindus to Christianity.
U.S. forces carried out five sets of precision strikes against Islamic State targets across Syria between Jan. 27 and Feb. 2, the U.S. military’s U.S. Central Command announced Wednesday.
U.S. forces carried out five sets of precision strikes against Islamic State targets across Syria between Jan. 27 and Feb. 2, the U.S. military’s U.S. Central Command announced Wednesday.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced on Feb. 5 that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to exchange 314 prisoners, marking the first such swap in five months and the most tangible outcome yet from U.S.-brokered talks held in Abu Dhabi. The exchange followed multiple days of trilateral negotiations involving delegations from Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow.
The Supreme Court of the United States on Wednesday declined to take up a legal challenge to California’s newly drawn congressional map, allowing the state to proceed with district lines that effectively eliminate five Republican-held U.S. House seats.
President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran has entered negotiations with the United States because it fears potential military action, as both sides prepare for high-stakes talks expected to take place in Oman. Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Trump said Tehran “doesn’t want us to hit them,” adding that a U.S. naval fleet is in the region as pressure increases.