Sept. 2 (UPI) — A large Samaritan estate has been unearthed by archaeologists in Israel, uncovering a wealth of treasures including mosaics, baths and an ancient oil press.
The dig is in Kafr Qasim, an Arab city about 12 miles east of Tel Aviv. It is on the Israeli side of the border with the West Bank. It was financed by the Israeli Ministry of Construction and Housing before constructing a new neighborhood. The site is within the boundaries of the Kafr Hatta archaelogical site.
The estate is an agricultural site that existed about 400 years ago, from the fourth through seventh centuries, which was between the Roman and the Byzantine periods. The site of Kafr Hatta is described in historical sources as the birthplace of Menander, the Samaritan magician and successor of Simon Magus, who was considered the father of the Gnostic sects and one of Christianity’s first converts.
The dig was in preparation for building housing on the site. The Ministry of Construction and Housing is cooperating with Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists in the field and helping with conservation operations, parallel to promoting the neighborhood’s development in other areas, a press release said.
“The size and splendor of the buildings discovered, the quality of their mosaic floors and the impressive agricultural installations, all point to the great wealth and prosperity of the local Samaritan community over the years,” said Alla Nagorsky and Dr. Daniel Leahy Griswold, Israel Antiquities Authority excavation directors.
In one of the buildings, a mosaic floor was preserved, decorated with a dense geometric pattern and vegetal images. Alongside its central medallion are acanthus leaves combined with rare decorations of fruits and vegetables — such as grapes, dates, watermelons, artichokes and asparagus. In the entrance to this room was a partially preserved Greek inscription wishing the building’s owner “Good Luck!”
The owner’s first name, Rabia, was common in Samaritan communities.
In the northern part of the estate, archaeologists found an olive press, a large warehouse building and a public purification bath called a miqveh. The proximity of the oil press to the miqveh probably was used to produce olive oil in purity.
The large olive press had two wings; the northern wing contained the main production areas, while auxiliary rooms were erected in the southern wing. In the production areas, two screw presses were found, as well as a large olive crushing basin.
“This type of olive press is more typical of the Jerusalem region and the Judean Shephelah and is less common in Samaria” Nagorsky said.
Over the years, the estate saw dramatic changes.
“The wealth and luxury of the buildings were replaced by oil production and agricultural installations. New walls damaged the mosaic floors, and the magnificent capitals and columns were integrated within the new walls,” she said.
Nagorsky suggested that these changes are related to the Samaritan Revolts under the Byzantine rule — a series of fifth- through sixth-century uprisings against the Byzantine emperors, who enforced restrictive laws on members of other religions.
“What makes this site particularly interesting is that unlike some of the other Samaritan sites that were destroyed in these revolts, the agricultural estate in Kafr Qasim actually continued in use, and even preserved its Samaritan identity — as evidenced by the Samaritan ceramic oil-lamps uncovered in our excavation,” she said.
“This is a fascinating site, which displays the historical gamut between the days of prosperity and the decline of the Samaritan community,” Nagorsky said. “Its long-term existence and impressive findings will allow us to reconstruct its history over centuries and will enrich our knowledge about this population in ancient times.”
Rabbi Amichai Eliyahu, Israeli minister of heritage, explained the connection between ancient Jews and Samaritans.
“These two ancient communities led their lives based on the Torah and shared common roots, and also experienced similar hardships during periods of antagonistic rule,” he said. “The impressive findings indicate the prosperity of a community closely related to Judaism, who lived in the Land of Israel for many centuries. These physical remains are another reminder that our heritage in this land is deep and multi-faceted.”
