(Photo By: Yaniv Cohen/Nature and Parks Authority)
By: Times of Israel Staff - May 31, 2021
The Tel Ashkelon National Park in southern Israel is undergoing a large-scale renovation project that will open up previously unseen parts of the heritage site, including a recently excavated 2,000-year-old Roman basilica, the largest one ever found in the country, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Monday.
The massive basilica, with its hundreds of ornately carved imported marble columns and statues, was originally discovered in the 1920s, but only fully excavated in recent years, with two major digs taking place between 2008 and 2012 and again in 2016-2018.
Now, archeologists are planning to try and restore parts of the edifice that were destroyed in an earthquake in 363 CE, including erecting sculptures and marble columns found in excavations at the site in a bid to give visitors a sense of the splendor of the building that formed the heart of Roman-era Ashkelon, when it was a bustling seaport.
Read More: Times of Israel