Unexpected ancient complex emerges near biblical city linked to Jonah and St Peter

Archaeologists in Israel have uncovered a sprawling 1,300-year-old industrial and commercial complex that once stood near a major route connecting some of the region's most historic cities.

The complex was discovered in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, according to an announcement earlier in August from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). The excavation was conducted ahead of construction of a new bus terminal.

The site was located near a main road connecting Jaffa, Ramla and Jerusalem.

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Known as Joppa in biblical times, Jaffa appears prominently in both the Old and New Testaments, including in the accounts of Jonah and St. Peter.

The complex itself dates back to the seventh or eighth century A.D., during the Umayyad and Abbasid periods.

In a joint statement, the excavation directors said that the findings "exceeded all expectations."

"The excavation uncovered an organized, planned complex featuring straight, intersecting streets," Yoav Arbel and Lior Rauchberger said, according to the IAA.

"Lining these streets were a series of rooms that served as shops or warehouses, plastered industrial facilities, pottery kilns and more."

They also noted that the complex appeared to have been carefully planned by engineers and constructed with the knowledge of regional authorities, who may have even initiated or funded the project.

"Possibly, it stood on a secondary road branching off from this central route," the directors added. "The area also offered fertile agricultural land and available water sources."

Images from the excavation show archaeologists working among the exposed remains of the sprawling complex, along with artifacts recovered at the site.

The architectural remains included streets, pottery kilns, shops and warehouses.

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Officials from the IAA said the finds also included "numerous bronze tableware and cosmetic implements, iron pickaxe heads, a sickle and numerous nails, dozens of coins and a large quantity of fragments of local and imported pottery and glass vessels.

"Together, these finds provide a vivid reflection of the period’s culture, trade and economy," the organization said.

During the Umayyad and Abbasid periods, the region was home to diverse Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Samaritan communities, though archaeologists are unsure about which group the people at the site belonged.

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Officials said the complex operated for 150 years before being abandoned "under circumstances that remain unknown at this stage.

"The site was resettled in the 10th century," the release added. "Residential buildings and production facilities were built there, and numerous tabuns — clay-baking ovens — were installed."

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The site was abandoned again in the late 11th century, shortly before the Crusaders arrived, and was never inhabited again.

The complex is one of several significant archaeological discoveries announced in Israel in recent months.

Earlier this summer, officials announced the discovery of two roughly 1,700-year-old marble statues near Binyamina, Israel.

Before that, archaeologists uncovered an ancient tunnel in Jerusalem near an archaeological site associated with the biblical Kingdom of Judah.