The remains of the church were discovered in archaeological excavations by the Antiquities Authority in Kfar Kama, in collaboration with Kinneret Academic College and volunteers from the area * The discovery of the remains of the early church in the Galilee also moved the head of the Greek-Catholic Church in Israel, who came to see for himself the find * The excavation was carried out in preparation for the construction of a playground, at the initiative of the local Kfar council Kama and the National Fund for Israel
The remains of a 1,300-year-old church, with decorated mosaic floors, were recently uncovered in excavations by the Antiquities Authority in Kfar Kama in the north, in collaboration with the Kinneret Academic College and with the help of volunteers from the area. Catholic Archbishop Dr. Yosef Mata, head of the Greek-Catholic Church in Israel, came to see for himself the ancient remains.
The excavation - under the direction of Nurit Feig from the Antiquities Authority, and in collaboration with Prof. Moti Aviam from the Kinneret Academic College, took place in preparation for the establishment of a game park, at the initiative of the Kfar Kama local council and the National Fund for Israel.
According to Feig, "The church, whose area was 12 x 36 m, included a large front yard, a foyer and a central hall. The uniqueness of the church is found in the existence of three apses (prayer niches). The middle hall and the citrates were paved with mosaics that have survived in part. Their colorful decoration is prominent, and was combined Among them are geometric and plant patterns in blue, black and red. A special find that was discovered is a reliquary (stone box) small, which was used to keep holy relics.
Another row of rooms was discovered on the site which was adjacent to the church, and according to a ground penetrating radar test which was operated by Dr. Shani Livy, there are additional rooms on the site. According to the researchers, "it is not impossible that this large complex was a monastery."
A smaller church, with two chapels, was discovered in the early 60s in Kfar Kama, and inscriptions were found in it. This church was dated to the first half of the 6th century AD. According to the researchers, "it seems that the church in the village and the monastery we excavated belong to the same period."
The new discovery probably hints at the important place of the Christian village that was located there in the distant past. In 1876, when the Circassians of the Shaspug tribe settled in the village of Kama, they used the stones of the ancient village to build their first houses.
The uncovering of the church in Kfar Kama will contribute to a large-scale study of the Christian settlement in the Galilee, which is being conducted by Prof. Moti Aviam and Dr. Jacob Ashkenazi from the Kinneret Institute for Galilee Archeology at the Kinneret Academy.
