During excavations in the Negev Desert, Israeli archaeologists have uncovered the remains of a 1,500-year-old church, on whose walls pilgrims likely once immortalized themselves with drawings and greetings.
On parts of the remains of the wall, researchers found drawings of contemporary ships that could have come from Christian pilgrims, the Israel Antiquities Authority IAA said on its Facebook account.
They are images of ships carved into the stone by different people. The attention to detail shows the artists’ familiarity with maritime life, archaeologist Deborah Cvikel is quoted by Kathpress.
According to the researchers, the drawings are a “greeting of Christian pilgrims who arrived by ship in the port of Gaza” and continued their way to the holy places in Jerusalem, Bethlehem or Sinai.
The church was located on the old Roman road
The excavation site, which researchers say is about a day’s walk from Gaza’s ancient port on the ancient Roman road to Beersheba, opens “a window into the world of the Christian pilgrims who visited the Holy Land 1,500 years ago,” IAA director explained Eli Ecusido out.
Source: Krone
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