Israel, Byzantine church of the 6th century AD discovered.

Important discovery in central Israel, in the community forest of Shoham, along the route of the so-called “Shvil Israel” (National Israel Trail), where the archaeological site of Khirbet Tinshemet is hidden. It is here that archaeologists discovered a Byzantine church dating back to the sixth century A.D. Researchers suggest identifying it with Beto-Melgasis, a church that appears on the mosaic of the legendary Map of Madaba.

The site was excavated in 1986 by Professor Yosef Porat and then again in 1995, under the direction of Dr. Uzi Dahari of the Israel Antiquity Authority. Subsequently, a unique and rare marble medallion depicting the goddess Tyche (Fortuna), goddess of fortune, considered the patroness of many cities, was discovered. This medallion, probably created in 582-3 A.D., intrigues many archaeologists because it is unique in Byzantine art with no other similar discoveries. Tyche is a Greek goddess belonging to pagan culture, so it is surprising to find her at the entrance of a church. Indeed, the medallion reflects a link between pagan tradition and developing Christianity, giving a glimpse into the cultural world of that period in the Land of Israel.

The church was dedicated, as it turned out, to the Christian martyr Bacchus. Bacchus was a Roman army officer who was martyred along with his comrade Sergius, according to tradition, in the year 305 because he refused to sacrifice to Jupiter. Both were later canonized. An inscription found in the center of the main hall, reflecting a fundamental tenet of Christianity, reads, “This place belongs to the Lord and the Only Son.”

The coin assemblage discovered at the site may also give insight into the economy and trade of the area at that time. According to Dr. Hagit Torge, an archaeologist with the Israel Antiquity Authority, “The coins represent a wide time interval - from the 4th to the 8th century CE. This time interval indicates the continuity of settlement and economic activity on the site, beginning in the Byzantine period and continuing until the beginning of the Islamic period.”

In 2011, the Preservation Department of the Israel Antiquities Authority began a campaign to preserve the site, in cooperation with local residents, and today the site is accessible and fully visitable, although church excavation campaigns are still ongoing.

Israel, Byzantine church of the 6th century AD discovered.

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