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Fragments of rare Roman frescoes discovered in northern Israel

The latest find marks the first time researchers have uncovered figurative images among the ruins of Zippori.

By Brooks Hays
One of the Roman period fresco fragments found in Israel features the depiction of the hindquarter of a tiger. Photo G. Laron/Hebrew University of Jerusalem
One of the Roman period fresco fragments found in Israel features the depiction of the hindquarter of a tiger. Photo G. Laron/Hebrew University of Jerusalem

JERUSALEM, Aug. 12 (UPI) -- Hundreds of fragments of Roman period frescoes have been unearthed by Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers in Zippori National Park, an archaeological site in central Galilee.

Now shattered, the frescoes once adorned a large public building and featured abstract figures, floral patterns and geometric patterns.

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Archaeologists say the building, still being excavated, was a gathering place for Jews in Galilee during the Roman and Byzantine periods. It boasted a large courtyard, underground vaults and water cisterns. For reasons unknown, the building was razed and replaced in the 3rd century.

In addition to colorful floral and geometric motifs, some of the fresco fragments reveal recognizable figures, including a lion, a bull-like horned animal, a bird, and the backside of a tiger. One fragment features a man wielding a club.

The latest find marks the first time researchers have uncovered figurative images among the ruins of Zippori, the Jewish capital of Galilee during the Roman and Byzantine periods.

Despite the location's importance to the Jewish people, researchers say the new findings are proof of Zippori's multicultural bonafides.

Though it's not clear who exactly is responsible for the monumental buildings and the public art, the explosion of construction and aesthetic displays in the 2nd and 3rd centuries reflect a public pledge of fealty to Rome.

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"Parallels to these finds are virtually unknown at other Israeli sites of the same period," officials concluded in a news release.

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