Press Release

History at the Louvre: For the First Time an Official Israeli Exhibition will be Displayed in the Museum ( May 2013) A Spectacular 1,500 Year Old Mosiac was Exposed in the Fields of Kibbutz Bet Qama in the South of the Country (May 2013) An Enormous Quarry Dating to the Second Temple Period was Exposed in the Ramat Shlomo Quarter of Jerusalem (May 2013) A Rare Ritual Bath (Miqwe) from the Second Temple Period was Revealed in Jerusalem (April 2013) Light on an Ancient Wine Press in a Future Garden Event Near the Spa at Hamei Yo'av (April 2013) Some of the Earliest Evidence of Growing Legumes and Cultic Sexual Symbols were Uncovered in a Stone Age Site (March 2013) An Ancient Industrial Installation was Revealed beneath the Asphalt in Yafo (February 2013) The Archaeological Archive of Israel is Scanned and Going Online (January 2013) Temple and rare cache of sacred vessels from Biblical times discovered at Tel Motza (December 2012) "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1) December 2012 An Extraordinary Contribution from the Dan David Foundation for the Construction of a Building in the National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel - which the Israel Antiquities Authority is Building in Jerusalem (November 2012) A Rare Well was Exposed, One of the First Revealed Dating to the Stone Age: The Well was Used by the First Farmers in the Jezreel Valley ( November 2012) A String of Colored Beads in a Bowl, Images of Ostriches Carved on a Stone Plaque and Animal Figurines – All from the Stone Age, were Exposed at Ein Zippori in the North(September 2012) A Public Water Reservoir Dating to the First Temple Period has been Exposed for the First Time next to the Western Wall (September 2012) Stone Age Figurines were Exposed in Archaeological Excavations at Tel Moza near Jerusalem (August 2012) Akko’s Magnificent Harbor from 2,300 Years Ago is Exposed on the Seabed (July 2012) Monumental synagogue building discovered in excavations in Galilee (July 2012) A Spectacular 2,000 Year Old Gold and Silver Hoard was Uncovered in an Archaeological Excavation the Israel Antiquities Authority Conducted in the Qiryat Gat Region (june 2012) Earliest Archaeological Evidence of the Existence of the City of Bethlehem already in the First Temple Period (May 2012) In Archaeological Work the Israel Antiquities Authority is Conducting in the 2,000 Year Old Drainage Channel Remains were Discovered of the Closest Building to the First Temple Exposed so Far in Archaeological Excavations, and on its Floor – a Hebrew Seal Bearing the Name ‘Matanyahu’ (April 2012) Israel Antiquities Authority Inspectors Seized Two Covers of Ancient Sarcophagi that Previously Contained Egyptian Mummies and were Smuggled into Israel (March 2012) The Response of the Israel Antiquities Authority to the Verdict by the Jerusalem District Court in the Matter of the Forgeries Trial Jerusalem District Court in the Matter of the Forgeries Trial (March 2012) At ‘Giv'at Yonah’, in Ashdod, Archaeological Finds were Uncovered that Verify the Existence of Life there at the (February 2012) A Stamp with the Temple Menorah was Uncovered in Excavations near Akko (January 2012) A mouthpiece of a pipe dating to the Ottoman period bearing the inscription, “Heart is language for the lover” (القلب لغة المحبوب), was discovered in an archaeological excavation the Israel Antiquities Authorit Exposed- A Find Indicative of the Activity in the Temple (December 2011) Building the Western Wall: Herod Began it but Didn’t Finish it (december 2011) An Ancient Christian Prayer Box was Discovered in Excavations in Jerusalem (October 2011) A Ritual Bath (Miqve) dating to the Second Temple Period was Discovered near Kibbutz Zor'a (October 2011) The “Crown” in Damascus Gate has been Restored (2011, August) A Rare Statue of Hercules was exposed in the Jezreel Valley (2011, August) (2011 JJLY) A Rare Gold Bell was Discovered in IAA Excavations in the Drainage Channel from the Second Temple Period The Inauguration of the First Temple Period Ophel City Walls Site and the Opening of the Exhibit of the Oldest Written Document from Jerusalem (June 2011) Ossuary Belonging to a Daughter of the Caiaphas Family of High Priests was Discovered (JUNE 2011) A 1,500 Year Old Public Building Dating to the Byzantine Period was Revealed in Excavations (June 2011) In a Joint Operation by Customs and the Israel Antiquities Authority on Monday Night: An Attempt to Smuggle Hundreds of Stolen Antiquities from Israel was Thwarted (May 2011) Dr. Zvi Greenhut of the Israel Antiquities Authority reveals: the nails in the Tel Aviv University Medical School anthropology laboratory are not the missing nails from Caiaphas’ Cave (May 2011) A Journey in Time to Ancient Egypt - A Unique Project for Passover by Ha-Chava and the Israel Antiquities Authority (march 2011) The International Conservation Center, Citta di Roma Teach Students From All Over The World How To Conserve Archaeology (march 2011) An Archeological Discovery of Major Importance, Including a Public Building and a Large Beautiful Mosaic, was Uncovered in Salvage Excavations the Israel Antiquities Authority Conducted at Horbat Midras (February 2011) Clearing Work Completed on a Second Temple Period Water Channel (January 2011) A 1,800 Year Old Bathing Pool was Discovered beneath a Miqve (November 2010) The Archaeological Journal 'Atiqot is Going Online (November 2010) (October 2010) "Leon Levy Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library" Will Enable Imaging, Digitization of 900-Manuscript Collection A 1,500 Year Old Samaritan Synagogue (Prayer Hall) was Exposed (August 2010) What was a Turkish Hand Grenade Doing Inside Jerusalem’s City Wall? (7/6/2010) Re-inauguration of Herod’s Gate in the Old City(6/30/2010) A Spectacularly Beautiful Wall Painting of the 12th will be Displayed for the First Time in the Renewed Israel Museum (6/30/2010) A Rare Discovery – After 3,500 Years More than 100 Impressive and Intact Ancient Cultic Vessels were Found in a Rock-hollow next to the Tishbi Junction (6/9/2010) Greetings from Napoleon III (20/3/2010) The Inauguration of the International Conservation Center “Città di Roma” (5/13/2010) A Magnificent Pagan Altar was Exposed at the Barzilai Hospital Compound in Ashkelon 2,000 Years of Water in Jerusalem The Re-Inauguration of Jaffa Gate in the Old City (4/21/2010) (2/19/2010) The 1,800 Year Old High-Level Aqueduct of Jerusalem was Exposed Next to Jaffa Gate in the Old City A Rare 1,100 Year Old Arabic Inscription of the Abbasid Caliph Al-Muqtadir was Discovered in Excavations in Jerusalem (2/17/2010) For the First Time the Main Road of Jerusalem, from 1,500 Years Ago, was Exposed (11/2/2010 A 1,400 Year Old Wine Press that is One of the Largest Ever Discovered in Israel was Exposed in the Vicinity of Nahal Soreq (2/15/2010) Medusas in Caesarea Harbor (1/19/2010) The IAA uncovered the earliest building ever found in Tel Aviv, dating to the Neolithic period (1/12/10)) For the Very First Time: A Residential Building from the Time of Jesus was Exposed in the Heart of Nazareth (12/21/09) (10/110/09) Coins from the Temple Mount -New Exhibition An international workshop of experts dealing with risks facing World Heritage sites was convened in Akko (11/18/09) A Marble Hoard was Exposed in an Archaeological Excavation in Akko (11/3/09 The Footprints of the Builders of the Lod Mosaic were Exposed (10/14/09) A large and Magnificent 2,000 Year Old Miqve was Exposed in Jerusalem (9/23/09) Second Temple Period Stepped Street Discovered (9/14) One of the Oldest Synagogues in the World was Exposed at Migdal (9/13) An Enormous 3,700 Year Old Fortification was Exposed in the City of David (9/10) A Large, Magnificent Roman Building, c. 1,800 Years Old, was Exposed in the City of David In the Israel Antiquities Authority Excavations at the 'Givati Car Park', in the Walls Around Jerusalem National Park (31/8/2009) The IAA dispatched a letter of denunciation to the World Archaeological Congress: “Instead of Archaeology, You are Speaking in Behalf of Politics"” (The IAA is embarking on a first of its kind campaign to register the antiquities collections that are held by the general public in Israel A Large Stone Quarry from the End of the Second Temple Period was Exposed on Shmuel HaNavi St. in Jerusalem (June 16, 2009 )An Archaeological Excavation in Jerusalem Has Revealed:This is How They Filled The Sultan’s Pool With Water After 13 Years of Being Covered –One of the Most Impressive and Largest Mosaics in the Country will be Re-exposed The Museum of the Good Samaritan opens to the public (6/7/09) (5/20/09)An Ancient Jar Handle Bearing the Hebrew Name Menachem was Uncovered in Ras el-‘Amud A Bone Seal Engraved with the Name Shaul, from the Time of the First Temple, was Found in Jerusalem (19/5/09) A Rare 2,000 Year Old Hebrew Document Written on Papyrus was seized in an Operation (5/5/09) Dedication of an Archaeological Garden in the Israel Knesset (5/4/09) A Fragment of a Hebrew Inscription from the Period of the Kings of Judah was Found The Inauguration of the National Project to Conserve the Stones in the Western Wall and the Establishment of the Israel Antiquities Authority Conservation Department (Minhal Shimur) (5/4/09) A Pier from the Hellenistic Period was Discovered in Akko (2/4/09) One of the Most Spectacular Mosaic Floors Ever Discovered in Israel was Restored and Renovated and Can Now be Seen by the General Public (30/3/09) A Byzantine Bathhouse was Uncovered Close to Kibbutz Gevim (24/3/09) Ancient Glass from the Holy Land (25/3/09) The Excavations in the Roman Theater in Tiberias In Memory of Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Drori ז"ל, Founder of the Israel Antiquities Authority (5/3/2009) A Byzantine Period Church was Exposed in Moshav Nes-Harim (11/3/2009) A Persian Love Poem (9/3/2009) Greetings from Ahimelekh and Yehokhil, from Netofa in Judah (23/2/2009) New Inscriptions found at Beit Guvrin- Maresha National Park Reveal more information on a Royal Stele at the Israel Museum (16/2/2009) Prime Minister Ehud Olmert Today Inaugurated the “Tel Akko” Tourism Project in the City of Akko. Another Theater is also soon to be Established in the City (3/2/09) An 1,800 Year Old Marble Figurine in the Image of a Bearded Man, probably that of a Roman Boxer, was Discovered (26/1/2009) Enlisting Resources for the Conservation of the Old City of Safed (January 14, 2009) A Hoard Comprising Hundreds of Gold Coins was Uncovered in the Excavations the Israel Antiquities Authority is Conducting at the ‘Giv‘ati Car Park’ in the City of David, in the Walls Around Jerusalem National Park (22/12/2008) (12/2/08) A 1,500 Year Old Bathhouse was Exposed in Zikhron Ya‘aqov A 2,000 Year Old Gold Earring, Inlaid with Precious Stones, was Discovered in Excavations in Jerusalem - 11/10/08) A Rare Hebrew Seal from the First Temple Period was Discovered in Archaeological Excavations in the Western Wall Plaza (10/30/08) A New Visitor’s Path is Inaugurated in Safed (10/5/08) The Southern Wall of Jerusalem that Dates to the Time of the Hasmonean Dynasty was Discovered on Mount Zion (9/3/08) The Dead Sea Scrolls Go Digital - 8/27/08 Three Extraordinary Skulls were found in Excavations in the North (8/13/08) (8/6/08) An ancient complex for Producing Oil was discovered Rare 2,500 Year Old Marble Discus that was meant to Protect Ancient Ships from the Evil Eye was Found in the Sea by a Lifeguard and Turned Over to the Israel Antiquities Authority (7/13/2008) Inspectors of the Israel Antiquities Authority seized dozens of ancient artifacts from the home of a Haifa resident, among them anchors of ancient boats- 5/28/08 A 9,000 Year Old Hoard of Flint Blades was Exposed at the Movil Junction A Fragment of a 2,000 Year Old Psalm Scroll was Displayed at the President’s Conference A present to the State of Israel for its sixtieth anniversary: Adulam Park The Mayor of Tiberias and the Director of the Israel Antiquities Authority Today Revealed for the First Time Plans for the Archaeological Park that Will “Resurrect” the Roman City of 2,000 Years Ago (1/4/08) A Silver Coin That Was Used To Pay The Half Shekel Head-Tax To The Temple Was Found In Jerusalem (March 18,2008) Building Remains From The Time Of The First Temple Were Exposed West Of The Temple Mount (March 13, 2008) An Antiquities Robber was Caught ‘Red-handed’ at Tel Hannaton in the North A Group of Christian Friends of Israel from throughout the United States is Maintaining the Antiquities Site of Biblical Tamar - Mezad Hazeva in the Arava A Band of Antiquities Robbers was Apprehended near Mei 'Ami (March 3, 2008 ) What Happened to the Clerks and Merchants of the 8th Century BCE? (27/2/2008) Conservation Treatment has been completed on the Glass Panel that was discovered in the Palace of the "Bird Mosaic" in Caesarea (28/1/2008) Impressive Second Temple Period Edifice is Discovered in the City of David (16/1/2008) For the First Time an Israeli Representative is Appointed to ICCROM’s Council (November 19, 2007) Monumental Remains of Roman Jerusalem in the Western Wall Tunnels (November, 15, 2007) Sixty Years Since the Discovery of the Dead Seas Scrolls For the First Time, Archaeological Remains dated to the First Temple Period have been Discovered on the Temple Mount For the First Time a Quarry has been Exposed that Supplied Enormous Stones for the Construction of the Temple Mount Fascinating Pictures of Archaeological Sites Tell the History of the Land of Israel In excavations the Israel Antiquities Authority is conducting in the City of David the city’s main drainage channel was discovered. (September 10, 2007) Surprising Finds were Discovered in the IAA Excavations in Tiberias (08/08/2007) During a routine patrol by inspectors of the IAA excavation work was discerned that was being conducted illicitly in a shop located in the Old City of Jerusalem. (07/08/2007) Israel Antiquities Authority inspectors foiled an attempt to smuggle an ancient statue head to an antiquities collector in the United States (07/08/2007) Surprising Finds were Discovered in the IAA Excavations in Tiberias (7/8/2007) Israel Antiquities Authority Inspectors Seized Hundreds of Archaeological Artifacts in the Home of a Wadi ‘Ara Resident (10/7/2007) For the First Time in Israel: Children make History (15/05/2007) Archaeological Excavations on Highway 38, at the Eshta’ol Junction (21/05/2007) A Mystery in Kfar “Nin” – An Earthquake or a Pogrom? (28/05/2007) A Large Wine Press from the Byzantine period, Mosaic Paved Rooms, and Treading Floors and Work Surfaces were found in the Archaeological Excavation being Conducted by the Israel Antiquities Authority in Bat Shlomo (28/05/2007) A Magnificent Arch, Ritual Baths and Various Installations from the Second Temple Period were Discovered in Excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority next to the Ben Shemen Interchange (10/06/2007) The Children of Migdal HaEmeq and the Antiquities Authority Participate in a First of its Kind Community Project: Protecting the Past for the Sake of the Future (14/06/2007) A helmet of a Greek warrior of the 6th-5th century BCE was discovered (April 19, 2007) The Jerusalem City Wall Project (April 12, 2007) Remains of a Jewish settlement are being exposed in the Shu’afat neighborhood of Jerusalem Israel Antiquities Authority excavation at the Mugrabim Ramp (February 6, 2007) The Beit Ha-Kerem Neighborhood in Jerusalem: An Attractive Place in Antiquity Also (December 10, 2006) The President's visit to the IAA's Mishmar David Excavation (December 3, 2006) The ‘Pisa-Akko’ Conservation Project (November 30, 2006) Inspectors of the Israel Antiquities Authority Thwarted an Attempt to Smuggle 5,000 Ancient Coins from Israel to Cyprus (27/11/2006) A previously unknown burial field was exposed beneath the spot where the Second Temple Model used to be exhibited (November 9, 2006) Family Businesses?? (November 12, 2006) Following this morning's newsitem about the ancient burial tombs excavation near Bet Shean (October 31, 2006) A lifeguard’s alertness resulted in an underwater archaeological discovery: the very first evidence of an ancient anchorage for sailing vessels in Netanya (October 30th 2006) For the first time in the world: a virtual three-dimensional tour of the Umayyad streets and buildings next to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem The Groundbreaking for the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel (October 15th 2006) Stone seals engraved with a figure of a ‘bird and an olive branch’ (September 20, 2006) Today, the Southern Region of the Antiquities Authority will Host 90 Members of Akim (20-60 Years Old) for an Experiential Day on the Occasion of Lag B’Omer - May 15, 2006 The Jerusalem region was an attractive place for man in prehistoric times too; in IAA excavations evidence was uncovered of prehistoric man’s existence at Ramat Rachel, in Jerusalem. - May 9, 2006 The Philatelic Service of the Israel Postal Authority has issued an exhibition sheet of a mosaic from the antiquities site at the Megiddo Prison (Legio) - May 9, 2006 A 6,500 year old farming village was exposed in excavations that are being conducted along the route of the national gas carrier in the fields of Moshav Menucha - near Nahal Guvrin (24/04/2006) A unique find of gold and silver bracelets dating to the 11th century CE was uncovered in IAA excavations at Ramla (April 11, 2006) Excavations conducted by the Antiquities Authority in Kfar Kana (13.3.06) 6,000 Year Old Cemetery Exposed in IAA Excavations The Israel Antiquities Authority recommends the prison to be transferred to a new location. Scientific Summary of the Authority's excavation at the Megiddo Prison and its recommendation for moving the prison. Hundreds of Ancient Items: Weapons, Coins, Rings etc. were Seized as a Result of Intelligence Information (December 18, 2005) Seven skeletons of buried horses are currently being uncovered in excavations conducted by the Antiquities Authority in the Armenian Monastery, near the coast in Jaffa. Experts Consult about the Excavations at Megiddo Prison (8/11/2005) Excavations at Megiddo Prison yield rare 3rd-4th century Christian structure (6/11/2005) They also ate fish in Jerusalem at the time of the Kingdom of Judah (September 29, 2005) For the first time remains of the pool dating to the First Temple Period, are being uncovered in the IAA Excavations (July 26, 2005) Exciting Finds from the First and Second Temple Period are being uncovered by the IAA IAA Inspectors Apprehended Three Members of a Gang of Antiquity Thieves Wanted for the Past Five Years by the Robbery Prevention Unit.(July 19, 2005) Hundreds of ancient artifacts were found in the home of a resident suspected of illegally trading antiquities (July 18, 2005) An Attempt to Smuggle Abroad a Rare Archaeological Artifact from the Time of Bar Kokhba is Foiled (May 17, 2005) Hadashot Arkeologiyot – The Digital Edition (May 15, 2005) They Build During the Day and Destroy at Night –– 8 Antiquity Looters were Apprehended in Modi‘in (March 8, 2005) A 6000 Year Old Cemetery is Exposed in Excavations at Palmahim (April 7, 2005) Remains and Artifacts Dating to the End of the Kingdom of Judea and the Hellenistic Period were Unearthed along the Bank of Nahal Be’er Sheva‘ (April 11, 2005) Qumran Temple Scroll to be Exhibited in Germany A rare coin was found in Jaffo's Flea Market (March 16th 2005)

For the First Time an Israeli Representative is Appointed to ICCROM’s Council (November 19, 2007)