Israel to open Roman-era tombs to public

ASHKELON, Israel - The Israel Antiquities Authority announced on Aug 27 it will open to the public two Roman-era tombs decorated with murals of Greek mythological figures.

The tombs, which date back more than 1,600 years and were discovered more than half a century apart, are located near the port of Israel’s southern city of Ashkelon, nestled between a residential area and a public garden.

The first tomb, dating back to the fourth century, was discovered by a British expedition in the 1930s.

It is decorated with depictions of nymphs wearing lotus flower crowns, children playing the flute, and various birds and animals.

The second tomb, dating from the second century and used to bury several generations of an aristocratic family, was discovered in the 1990s by Israeli archaeologist Elena Kogan-Zehavi.

“You can only imagine the level of surprise that awaited me when, as a young archaeologist, I entered the structure, which was covered in a lot of rubbish,” Dr Kogan-Zehavi told journalists, during a visit to the site on Aug 27.

“Only eight painted tombs have been discovered so far” in Israel, she said.

Out of those, only the two in Ashkelon, which will open for group visits as of October, “are accessible to the public,” Dr Kogan-Zehavi said.

Ashkelon boasts more than 3,000 years of history and “was a very important city” in Roman times, added the archaeologist.

The city’s mayor, Mr Tomar Glam, said in a statement that “we are... ensuring a place of honour for its glorious past”. AFP