Some of the finds from the nearly 1,500-year-old structure were displayed on Wednesday after three years of excavations. The findings will be exhibited at Jerusalem’s Bible Lands Museum.
According to press reports, an inscription on a mosaic proclaims that the site was built in honor of a “glorious martyr.” Other inscriptions commemorate the Roman Empire’s expansion under the sixth-century ruler Justinian and one of his successors, Tiberius II Constantine.
The elaborate design of the Church, including a lattice marble chancel, a calcite flowstone baptismal and a floor mosaic depicting an eagle, the symbol of the Byzantine Empire, shows the site’s notable funding and significance.
The excavation’s director, Benjamin Storchan, said the excavation showcases a phenomenon known as “imperial church building.”