23 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Evidence of a 1500-year-old Byzantine church found on the beach of Ashdod, Israel

Recent rain in Israel has unearthed the remains of a marble pillar dating to around 1,500 years ago on a beach in the city of Ashdod.

The pillar is part of the remains of a large Byzantine church that was located in the area some 1,500 years ago, according to the Antiquities Authority (IAA).

Ashdod-Yam was a prominent port city during the Byzantine period, known as Azotos Paralios, and featured on the renowned 6th century Madaba Map.

The column was found by Ashdod municipal inspectors Itai Dabush and Sagiv Ben Gigi during a recent routine patrol in the dunes.

Byzantine marble pillar after being removed from the ground in the Ashdod sand dunes.. (credit: Israel Antiquities Authority)
Byzantine marble pillar after being removed from the ground in the Ashdod sand dunes.. (credit: Israel Antiquities Authority)

The pillar, which was found lying in the sand, measured about 1.6 meters and, amazingly, was found in one whole, unbroken piece.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Avi Levy, Ashkelon archaeologist with the IAA, suggests the column may have come from the splendid early Byzantine basilica discovered in Ashdod Yam in 2017.

That extraordinary edifice may be the reason why Ashdod Yam appears on the Madaba Map, a sixth-century mosaic of the Holy Land – in fact, the earliest known map of the Holy Land, Levy says. The map was part of an ornate church floor in Jordan.

The Madaba Map, itself discovered in 1884, shows for instance the church of the Theotokos in Jerusalem, which was dedicated in the year 542, but no buildings in the city postdating the year 570. Scholars therefore believe the mosaic was created before 570.

Madaba Map. Photo: Wikipedia

The marble from which the pillar was made is not from Israel, and it needs to be analyzed by IAA experts to pinpoint its origin, Levy said.

However, Dr. Alexander Fantalkin of Tel Aviv University who has been excavating the magnificent basilica doesn’t think the column is from it, but from another locally built church that had been quite close to where the column is now, or was before it was moved. It hasn’t been excavated yet, he adds.

Archaeological excavations have been conducted in Ashdod since 2013 under the direction of Dr. Alex Pantalkin of the Department of Archeology and Ancient Near Eastern Cultures of Tel Aviv University.

Extensive remains of a Byzantine period church compound were uncovered in August 2017 in the northern part of the site. The basilica, under exploration since mid-2017, may actually date to as early as the third century, making it one of the earliest Christian structures in the land.

One of the fascinating finds in the excavation was a series of tombs bearing memorial inscriptions for male and female deacons, assistants of the priest. The tombs were found next to each other in the north citadel area of the church. A tomb of a female martyr was also discovered in the central apse of the church.

Israel Antiques Authority

Related Articles

Archaeologists in Egypt unearth Roman-era cabin and royal sphinx statue

6 March 2023

6 March 2023

An Egyptian archaeological mission discovered a sphinx statue inside a Roman-era limestone cabin excavated in Egypt’s south. The artifacts were...

500-year-old Ottoman bath revived after years of restoration

5 April 2024

5 April 2024

The 500-year-old Zeyrek Çinili Hammam, a masterpiece of Mimar Sinan and one of the most important examples of Ottoman Bath...

Underwater Archaeologists discovered World’s Largest and Oldest ancient shipyard on Dana Island, Türkiye

31 October 2023

31 October 2023

The ruins of the world’s largest and oldest ancient shipyard were found in the north of the island of Dana,...

6,000-Year-Old “Kołobrzeg Venus”: A Remarkable Neolithic Discovery on the Baltic Coast

20 June 2025

20 June 2025

A remarkable archaeological discovery has emerged from the sandy shores of Poland’s Baltic coast near Kołobrzeg—a 6,000-year-old female figurine now...

Rare Roman Legionary Helmet Looted from Serbia Appears in U.S. Auction

23 October 2025

23 October 2025

Rare Roman legionary helmet sparks international debate over cultural heritage and illicit antiquities trade A rare Roman legionary helmet of...

Tanzania’s mysterious footprints were made by early humans, not bears

6 December 2021

6 December 2021

The prehistoric footprints discovered by archaeologists caused confusion because scientists looked at them again to determine whether they were left...

A carved Hand Imprint unearthed in a 1,000-year-old Jerusalem defensive moat

26 January 2023

26 January 2023

The Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Wednesday that archaeologists discovered the remains of a moat and a mysterious hand imprint...

Statue Head of Goddess Tyche Discovered in Bulgaria

8 December 2024

8 December 2024

A remarkably crafted head of a large statue of the Greek goddess Tyche was recently unearthed during the excavations of...

3,000-Year-Old Iron Age Statuette Discovered in Italian Lake, With Fingerprints of Maker

17 August 2024

17 August 2024

During work in Lake Bolsena, a volcanic lake in central Italy, at the submerged archaeological site of Gran Carro, a ...

Outrage in Türkiye: 3,000-Year-Old Unesco Tomb in Phrygian Valley Turned Into Café

1 July 2025

1 July 2025

A 3,000-year-old rock-cut tomb located in the historical Phrygian Valley—hailed as Türkiye’s “second Cappadocia” and listed on the UNESCO World...

Over 4 feet long sword found in a medieval grave in Sweden

29 December 2023

29 December 2023

An unusual and exciting discovery was made during archaeological research at Lilla Torg in the port city of Halmstad on...

A new study reveals, Anglo-Saxon Kings were generally vegetarian, but peasants treated them to huge meat feasts

22 April 2022

22 April 2022

Very few people in England ate large amounts of meat before the Vikings settled, and there is no evidence that...

This summer, a 2,000-year-old “thermopolium” fast-food restaurant in Pompeii will reopen to the public

8 August 2021

8 August 2021

Archaeologists excavated a 2000-year-old fast food and drink counter “termopolium” on the streets of the ancient Roman city of Pompeii...

Ancient Egyptian cult drank a trippy mix of drugs, human blood, and bodily fluids

7 June 2023

7 June 2023

Researchers have identified some of the components of found in an ancient Bes vase dating back to Ptolemaic era Egypt....

7.5 Million Annual Elephant Skulls Fossil Were Found in Turkey “Choerolophodon Pentelic”

17 March 2021

17 March 2021

A complete skull fossil from 7.5 million years ago was discovered on the bank of the Yamula Dam in the...