Roman Era Engravings Found In Beer Sheva Construction Dig

Jerusalem, 7 November, 2018 (TPS) --  

Rare engraving of ships and animals dating back to the Roman period from the first and second century CE have come to light in the recent weeks during works conducted in preparation for the construction of a new neighborhood in Beer Sheva, the Israel Antiquities Authority  (IAA) said Wednesday.

The excavations, led by the IAA,  first uncovered a 12-meter deep cistern in which archaeologists were surprised to find finely engraved designs, featuring ships, a sailor and zoomorphs in the plaster covering the cistern walls.

“The ships include technical details and present proportions which suggest actual knowledge in ship construction” said Dr. Davida Eisenberg-Degen, a specialist in Rock Art and Graffiti at the Israel Antiquities Authority and lead excavator at the site. “The shape and form of the cistern, the technique of hewing and plastering, suggest that the cistern is of the first-second century CE, and likely served the residence of a Roman period site situated some 800 m. away,” she added.