BIBLE HISTORY DAILY

Ashkelon’s Roman-Era Tombs to Open

Preserving an ancient site for all to see

Discovered more than a half decade apart, two stunning Roman-era tombs are undergoing an extensive preservation process to be finally open to the public. The tombs, located near the Ashkelon marina, date from the second to early fourth centuries. Each was covered in decorative paintings of plants, animals, and Greek mythological characters. Thanks to the conservation efforts of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), these once-faded and damaged tombs will soon be on view for all to see, joining dozens of other archaeological wonders around the city.

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Preserving Ashkelon’s Tombs

Situated between two apartment buildings, these Roman-era tombs are being brought back to life. The older of the two tombs dates to the second century. A large tomb complex, it was discovered in the 1990s and consists of a central hall with small tomb chambers jutting off to either side. The hall is decorated with colorful paintings of humans and birds. Within each chamber, the IAA discovered lead coffins decorated with human, animal, and vegetal motifs.

The second tomb comes from the early fourth century and was uncovered by a British expedition in the 1930s. Similar to the other tomb, it consists of a long hall with adjacent burial chambers. The hall is decorated with a range of impressive high-quality paintings, including depictions of the Greek goddess Demeter, vines, grape clusters, birds, deer, and children. Other paintings show nymphs and the head of Medusa, the mythical gorgon who could turn men into stone with a single look.

Now, these two marvelous tombs are being incorporated into a public park, only 300 yards away from the beach. According to Mark Abrahami, head of the IAA’s art conservation unit: “Ancient wall paintings are usually not preserved in Israel’s humid climate. As the paintings were in a relatively closed structure, it protected them, to some extent, for decades. Naturally, exposure of the centuries-old paint to air and moisture caused fading and weathering. We had to conduct a long and sensitive process to stop and repair the ravages of time and weathering. Some paintings had to be removed from the walls for thorough treatment in the IAA’s conservation laboratories until they were returned to the site.”

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Related reading in Bible History Daily:

Ashkelon Through the Ages

Ashkelon’s Last Hurrah

Restoring Ancient Tel Ashkelon

Philistine Cemetery Unearthed at Ashkelon

All-Access members, read more in the BAS Library:

The Fury of Babylon: Ashkelon and the Archaeology of Destruction

From Vespa to Ashkelon

When Canaanites and Philistines Ruled Ashkelon

Buy Low, Sell High: The Marketplace at Ashkelon