This is the second known gate in Israel, where there is a mosaic with a blessing inscription associated with the Samaritans. The excavations by the Antiquities Authority took place as part of the establishment of a new neighborhood in the settlement, at the initiative of the Israel Lands Authority
'Only God helps the beautiful estate of Lord Adios. Amen'. This is what was written in a 1600-year-old blessing inscription that was uncovered in archaeological excavations conducted by the Antiquities Authority in recent months in Tzur Natan in southern Sharon. The excavations, which ended this week, were carried out in favor of establishing a new neighborhood, at the initiative of the Israel Lands Authority.
The inscription, written in Greek, was deciphered and translated by Prof. Leah Di Segni from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and it dates to the beginning of the 5th century AD, a period when the Samaritan settlement reached its peak size and power in the southern Sharon region.
According to Dr. Hagit Torga, the director of the excavation on behalf of the Antiquities Authority, "the inscription was discovered inside an impressive winery that was used for wine production. This winery was, apparently, part of the agricultural estate of a distinguished man named Adios. Geth is the second of its kind in Israel, where a mosaic bearing a blessing inscription associated with the Samaritans was discovered. Another winery was discovered several years ago in Apollonia in Herzliya."
Near the lake, the archaeologists located stone quarries where holes were dug for growing vines. These were, apparently, part of the property of the lord Adios.
"Adon is a title of honor given to senior members of the community, and indicates the high social status of the owner of the agricultural property," Torga says. "Also the location of Haget, close to the top of the mound of Tsur Natan, where the remains of a Samaritan synagogue were discovered in the past, testifies to the high status of that Adios."
Excavations that were conducted in the past at the top of the mound near Tzur Natan revealed the remains of a Samaritan synagogue which was converted into a church during the 6th century AD. Next to it, a complex was discovered in which large rooms and rooms for the wine, oil and wheat industry were combined. In one of these rooms, a donkey's noses were discovered, which were used for grinding flour, and on them was an engraving of a menorah with seven reeds.
The blessing inscription in Geth joins the evidence of the extensive Samaritan settlement that existed in southern Sharon about 1600 years ago, and adds information about the lives of the Samaritans in the Byzantine period.
The Samaritans were brought to Israel as part of the exiles of the kings of Assyria and the beginning of the settlement in the Mount Gerizim area and its surroundings. Over the years, they multiplied and expanded the borders of their settlement to the southern Sharon region, while maintaining their unique traditions and customs. During the Byzantine period, the Samaritans rebelled against the government out of a desire to preserve their identity. After these rebellions, their population decreased and it was concentrated in the Gerizim area. Today there is a Samaritan community in Mount Gerizim and in the city of Holon.
According to the director of the Israel Lands Authority, Adiel Shimron: The Israel Lands Authority works for a better future of living for the citizens of Israel and at the same time is committed to the historical past of the Land of Israel and to the preservation of archaeological values.
