Article author:
Associated Press
Emily Rose
Jerusalem (AP) — A 1,700-year-old Roman mosaic has returned to Israel and the collection has been unveiled. It was held for the first time on Monday after touring the world's top museums for over a decade. The
mosaic was first discovered in the central city of Lords in 1996, but the Israeli ancient authorities only unearthed a complete, well-preserved work of art in 2009.
The collection covers 17 meters x 9 meters (56 feet x 30 feet). The mosaic depicts a herd of animals such as African elephants, rhinos, and giraffes, from fish and poultry to beasts that would have been exotic to the ancient inhabitants of Rod. Archaeologists believe that the mosaics graced wealthy villas in the 3rd or 4th century after Lord was rebuilt as the Roman city of Diospolis.
But for more than a decade, Mosaic had no permanent home while Israeli authorities were raising money for the museum. They have been exhibited at museums around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Louvre Museum in Paris, and the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Shelby White and Leon Levy Mosaic Rod The new Mosaic House at the Archaeological Center will feature guided tours and interactive exhibits in Arabic, English and Hebrew. The museum is free for residents of Road, a mixed Arab and Jewish city that saw a bout of inter-denominational violence in May 2021 during the war with Israel's Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
"Like a mosaic that combines many works into one wonderful photo ... We are trying to bring together all the locals of the Jews and Arabs," said the museum's project manager. Raanan Kislev told The Associated Press. The
museum is strategically located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and is adjacent to the country's major international airports, so we hope it will be an important attraction for tour groups. The museum is designed to recreate an ancient Roman villa that would have housed a mosaic.
"Our dream for this city is itself a mosaic of culture and is realized in front of us today. Dedicated to this most important museum, Lod is a tourist map of the world. "It's posted on," said Mayor Yair Revivo. ..
