Guno צְבִי
We fight, We win, Am Yisrael Chai
Israeli archaeologists have uncovered a striking Roman-era marble sarcophagus — the first of its kind discovered in the country — bearing elaborate carvings of a mythological drinking contest between the wine god Dionysus and the hero Hercules. The find, which dates to the 2nd or 3rd century C.E., was made during a recent excavation in Caesarea, along Israel’s Mediterranean coast.
The sarcophagus, buried under a sand dune, was discovered during excavations led by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), under the initiative of the Caesarea Development Corporation. The discovery will be formally presented on Thursday, June 12, at a lecture during “The Feast,” an academic conference at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv, in collaboration with the IAA, Tel Aviv University, and Bar-Ilan University.
The sarcophagus fragments were transferred to the IAA’s conservation labs, where conservators and architects meticulously restored and reassembled the pieces. The result is a vivid portrayal of Dionysus surrounded by satyrs, maenads, and other mythological figures — including Hermes, Pan, lions, and tigers — forming a lively procession accompanying the dead into the afterlife.
www.jewishpress.com
The sarcophagus, buried under a sand dune, was discovered during excavations led by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), under the initiative of the Caesarea Development Corporation. The discovery will be formally presented on Thursday, June 12, at a lecture during “The Feast,” an academic conference at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv, in collaboration with the IAA, Tel Aviv University, and Bar-Ilan University.
The sarcophagus fragments were transferred to the IAA’s conservation labs, where conservators and architects meticulously restored and reassembled the pieces. The result is a vivid portrayal of Dionysus surrounded by satyrs, maenads, and other mythological figures — including Hermes, Pan, lions, and tigers — forming a lively procession accompanying the dead into the afterlife.
Stunning Roman Sarcophagus Depicting Dionysus and Hercules Unearthed in Caesarea
The 1,700-year-old marble sarcophagus bears a mythological scene of Dionysus and Heracles in a drinking contest.
www.jewishpress.com
