Two vaulted tombs dating back at least 1,700 years are soon to be revealed to the public for the first time in Ashkelon, Israel.
The unveiling of these tombs is part of a broader initiative by the southern seaside city and the Israel Antiquities Authority to integrate local heritage assets into public spaces.
This collaboration has already resulted in the development of several historical sites throughout Ashkelon, including a public park in the Wine City neighborhood featuring an ancient industrial complex; an ancient mosaic display near a public playground; and the upgrade of “sarcophagus courtyard” at the Ashkelon Outdoor Museum.
“In recent years, we have made a real revolution in the realm of historical site preservation,” said Ashkelon Mayor Tomer Glam. “[We’ve] made sites accessible to the city’s residents and to the general public, and then organized events and produced educational, cultural, and touristic programs with the aim of connecting the city’s history to its present.”
Located near Ashkelon’s marina, these tombs showcase an artistic array of Greek mythological characters, people, plants, and animals. Discovered in the 1930s, they have undergone extensive conservation.
One tomb, dating to the early fourth century CE, features depictions of Demeter, the oft-pregnant Greek goddess of harvest, grain, and earth’s fertility, alongside various nature scenes, including vines, grape clusters, greenery, and some magic nature ladies (read: nymphs,) to tie it all together.
Fans of the late great Homer’s work will also be pleased to find a rendering of Medusa, a mythical gorgon with a notoriously problematic hairdo, among the many artistic portrayals in the tomb.
The second tomb, which was relocated from another Ashkelon site in the 1990s, dates back to the second century CE.
It boasts colorful paintings of human figures, birds, deer, and other flora and fauna, and it also features several lead coffins decorated with similar motifs.
While the heat and humidity in Ashkelon may be a perfect excuse to visit the beach, they make preserving ancient wall paintings difficult.
Mark Abrahami, head of the Israel Antiquities Authority’s art conservation branch, credited the “relatively closed structure” of the tombs for the good state of the artwork they house, noting that there was still plenty of work to be done to ensure they remain intact.
“Naturally, exposure of the centuries-old paint to air and moisture caused fading and weathering. We had to conduct a long and sensitive process to stop and repair the ravages of time and weathering. Some paintings had to be removed from the walls for thorough treatment in the Israel Antiquities Authority’s conservation laboratories, until they were returned to the site,” said Abrahami.
“The other walls of the structure were cleaned, the pigments in the colors of the paintings were accentuated, and the entire building was strengthened and stabilized to preserve it for future generations,” he said.
As the public garden housing these tombs prepares to open for the upcoming High Holidays, residents and tourists alike will have the opportunity to marvel at these rare paintings.
Israel Antiquities Authority Director Eli Escusido praised Ashkelon as “an example of how the integration of ancient findings into the urban fabric… imparts additional worth to and provokes interest in its public spaces.”
Produced in association with ISRAEL21c
