The anemone mosaic in Hurbat al-Bira (Photo: Emil Eljam, Israel Antiquities Authority)
An ancient and magnificent 1400-year-old colored mosaic, bearing flower patterns, is being rediscovered these days in the Shoham industrial area.
The Antiquities Authority, in collaboration with the Shoham local council, is re-revealing, together with volunteers, a part of the ancient ruins of Horvat al-Bira, which was hidden from view for 40 years, and will now be a point of visit for Israel Trail travelers.
The site hides the remains of a wealthy house from the Roman period, from which agricultural facilities and buildings scattered around the site survived, and were used by the local residents in antiquity.
During the Byzantine period, the house of the wealthy became a church.
This one stood on an ancient road about 1500 years old, which connected the coast to the Judean lowlands, and intersects with the modern Israel Trail.
Along the way, there are ancient "refreshment stations" every few kilometers and in them;
Tel Tanshem, Horvat al-Bira, and Horvat Hani, which was also recently preserved by the Antiquities Authority.
These sites allowed rest, prayer and renewal of strength for those who walked here in the past.
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An ancient mosaic inscription was uncovered near the Nablus Gate in Jerusalem.
Anemone in the Al-Bira mosaic.
Were the creators of the mosaic inspired by the flowering in antiquity? (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority, Emil Eljam)
The site was uncovered with the help of volunteers from the community (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority, Emil Eljam)
"When we arrived at the site, the mosaic was covered with grass and soil" (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority, Emil Eljam)
"Working on the site, with layers of anemones in the background"
"When we arrived at the site, the mosaic was covered with grass and soil. In the last month we have been uncovering it again together with the community of the area," says archaeologist Yair Amitsur, director of the Educational Center of the Antiquities Authority in the center of the country.
"We are working on the site, with mats of anemones in the background. One cannot help but wonder if the creator of the mosaic that was discovered here, got inspiration for the flower decorations from the vegetation that grew on the hill at the time."
"The site was discovered by Prof. Zeev Safrai and Prof. Shimon Dar in the 1980s," says Anan Ezb, director of the Central District of the Antiquities Authority.
"It seems that there was human activity in the place in the times between the Iron Age and the Islamic period, and maybe even earlier - in the Chalcolithic period."
The restoration and maintenance of the site is done by the Shoham community and volunteers of the Antiquities Authority from around the country in honor of "Good Deeds Day", the Antiquities Authority together with the Shoham local council and volunteers from the community inaugurated a new seating area,
The exposure works on the mosaic - view from above (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority, Emil Elgem)
The ruins of Al-Bira, overlooking the offices of the Central Area of the Antiquities Authority (Photo: The Antiquities Authority, Emil Eljam)
The antiquities site is located near the Israel Trail (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority, Emil Eljem)
Yair Amitsur, Director of the Educational Archaeological Center of the Israel Antiquities Authority in the center of the country (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority, Emil Eljem)
As part of the project, the Antiquities Authority team connects the site with the offices of the Central Area of the Antiquities Authority in Shoham, which are located nearby, and becomes "angels of the path".
"Thanks to the site training project, Israel Trail travelers who pass through here will now be able to stock up on water, a good cup of coffee and explanations about the place, on the way (literally)," concludes Amitsur.
According to Eli Escozido, director of the Antiquities Authority: "It is exciting to meet good people who mobilize, together, shoulder to shoulder around the issue of heritage, in order to establish a Hamad corner for Israel. The work at the site is the Israeli existence at its best. I hope that every hiker on the trail will find the human chapter in history along the way Ours they connect with, and maybe they will even be intrigued and want to participate in one of the Antiquities Authority projects that are surely operating near their home. Our history is everywhere, you just have to look up and see."
The head of the Shoham local council, Eitan Pettigrew: "Shoham is connected to the nature and history that surrounds it, and they are an integral part of the leisure life of the residents of the settlement. The new site is at the heart of the High Park Shoham logistics district and I have no doubt that it will be a point of interest for the residents of the settlement and the guests who visit the place. The proximity to the Israel Trail and Pod-Trucks, which will soon be placed in a nearby parking lot, provide an opportunity for a short and particularly interesting trip, while learning the history of the settlement in the Land of Israel and in our region. I thank the Antiquities Authority for the initiative to reveal this fascinating site and the students of the settlement who participated in the works."
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