Archaeological findings in Israel!
Hebrew university cave researchers explore cavern. While digging a deep service shaft to serve the new light railway about to open in the city, a large cave was discovered that appears to be an important, ancient water source. For the first time in the history of the study of Akko, a public building from the Byzantine period has been exposed in the city.
HEBREW UNIVERSITY CAVE RESEARCHERS EXPLORE CAVERN
While digging a deep service shaft to serve the new light railway about to open in the city, a large cave was discovered that appears to be an important, ancient water source. Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers recently completed an initial survey of the water source in the cave, whose full length has yet to be explored.
The cave is narrow and a few dozen meters high, forming an underground canyon. It contains an underground stream, flowing in a south-easterly direction. It is a type of karstic cave, which refers to an area of limestone in which dissolution has produced sinkholes, underground streams and caverns.
The length of the cave is believed to extend for several hundred meters, at least, though its true length will only be known after subsequent explorations. At a distance of some 200 meters from the service shaft, the Hebrew University cave explorers found a series of small waterfalls.
“This cave is the largest and most impressive of its type that has yet been found in Israel,” said Frumkin. He pointed out that the cave is situated in an area about which there is uncertainty regarding the direction of the flow of water in the mountain aquifer, and this cave can assist in achieving a better understanding of that phenomenon.
FOR THE FIRST TIME A BUILDING FROM THE BYZANTINE PERIOD DICOVERED IN AKKO
For the first time in the history of the study of Akko, a public building from the Byzantine period has been exposed in the city. In an archaeological excavation the Israel Antiquities Authority conducted in Akko a 1,500 year old public building was discovered that may have been used as a church.
According to Nurit Feig, director of the excavation on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, "Until now, the city was known from Christian sources which mention its bishop who took part in formulating the new religion. Now, the first tangible evidence is emerging in the field. This is an important discovery for the study of Akko because until now no remains dating to the Byzantine period have been found, save those of a residential quarter situated near the sea”.
The early Christian sources mention the bishops of Akko and Caesarea who participated in major international conferences and meetings that dealt with formulating religious doctrine, thus attesting to the centrality of Akko for the Christian religion in this period.
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