image sourced from original article at A richly decorated church dating back about 1,400 years has been uncovered in Nitzana National Park in the Negev. The structure features striking mosaic floors adorned with geometric designs, including medallions filled with intricate patterns made from tiny colored stones, as well as detailed floral motifs.
The church was one of several that operated in the settlement during the Byzantine period and the beginning of the early Islamic era, between the fifth and seventh centuries of the Common Era. It served both local residents and Christian pilgrims traveling through the region on their way to St. Catherine's Monastery and other religious sites in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
