lunedì 11 agosto 2008

Roman temple ruins found in Israel

Roman temple ruins found in Israel
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 22:51:00 08/11/2008

JERUSALEM—Archaeologists have found the ruins of a pagan temple dating back to Roman times in the Galilee region of northern Israel, the Hebrew University in Jerusalem said on Monday.

The temple was discovered under the foundations of a Byzantine church that had been unearthed during a previous dig in Zippori national park, the university said in a statement.

"This discovery shows that Zippori, the Jewish capital of Galilee during the Roman period, had a fairly important pagan population," it said.

Objects found among the ruins of the 24-meter by 12-meter (80- by 40-foot) temple suggest the temple was devoted to Zeus and Tyche, the Greek goddess of prosperity, according to the university which led the dig.