Ramat Bet Shemesh, Israel

A spectacular Byzantine church was unearthed during recent salvage excavations in Ramat Beit Shemesh. While its date of construction is unknown, mosaic inscriptions found in the church indicate that it was enlarged in the 6th century, during the reign of Emperor Justinian. Another mosaic inscription reveals that the church was built in honor of a “glorious martyr” whose relics were kept there, but whose identity is unknown. The church was active until the 9th century, when it was abandoned.