New Roman Mosaic Found in Israel

The Fellowship  |  November 16, 2015

On Monday, a new 1,700-year-old mosaic floor was finally revealed by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) after they discovered this Roman-era mosaic last year in the city of Lod. Archeologists were in the middle of designing a new visitor’s center for a mosaic uncovered in the 1900s in the same neighborhood when they discovered this new mosaic, which beautifully features fish, birds, and hunting animals.

The authority said the newly discovered Roman-era mosaic measures 11 meters by 13 meters (36 feet by 42 feet) and paved the courtyard of a villa in an affluent neighborhood that stood during the Roman and Byzantine eras. The scenes include hunting animals, fish, vases and birds.

“The quality of the images portrayed in the mosaic indicates a highly developed artistic ability,” said Amir Gorzalczany, who directed the excavation…

The original mosaic has been displayed at the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Louvre in Paris, and the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg. It is currently on display at the Cini Gallery in Venice, and is expected to return to Lod after the visitors’ center is complete.