Archaeologists have unearthed a sprawling 1,600-year-old agricultural estate in Kafr Qasim, central Israel, providing a glimpse into the prosperity and durability of the Samaritan community during late antiquity. The excavation, led by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) and funded by the Ministry of Construction and Housing, was recently announced.

Magnificent mosaics attesting to the great wealth and prosperity of the ancient Samaritan community. Credit: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority

The site, Khirbet Kafr Ḥatta, is recorded in historical texts as the birthplace of Menander, a Samaritan magician and successor to Simon Magus, the supposed father of the Gnostic sects, and an early convert to Christianity. Archaeologists date the settlement to about 400 years, from the late Roman through the Byzantine period (fourth–seventh centuries CE).

“The size and splendor of the buildings discovered, the quality of their mosaic floors, and the impressive agricultural installations all point to the great wealth and prosperity of the local Samaritan community,” said excavation directors Alla Nagorsky and Dr. Daniel Leahy Griswold.

Magnificent mosaics attesting to the great wealth and prosperity of the ancient Samaritan community. Credit: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority

Among the finest discoveries is a mosaic floor featuring fine geometric patterns, acanthus leaves, and unusually precise depictions of grapes, dates, watermelons, artichokes, and asparagus. At the entrance to the room, a Greek inscription was found, wishing the owner “Good Luck!” The inscribed name, the team concluded, was one that was common among Samaritan communities.

At the entrance to the room, a Greek inscription was found, wishing the owner “Good Luck!” Credit: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority

The northern section revealed an olive press, a large warehouse, and a miqveh, or ritual purification bath. Scholars believe that the proximity of the press to the bath indicates efforts to produce olive oil in ritual purity. The press was carefully designed, with two wings: one for production areas, which contained screw presses and a crushing basin, and the other for auxiliary rooms.

Over centuries, the region underwent significant changes. Lavish residential complexes were followed by agricultural buildings, with new walls damaging older mosaics and decorated architectural elements being reused in later buildings. Archaeologists attribute such changes to the Samaritan Revolts of the fifth and sixth centuries CE, uprisings against Byzantine rule, which limited religious minorities.

An olive press for the production of oil in ritually pure conditions and an adjacent ritual bath. Credit: Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority

“What makes this site particularly interesting is that, unlike some other Samaritan sites destroyed in these revolts, the estate in Kafr Qasim continued to be used and preserved its Samaritan idenтιтy, as evidenced by the Samaritan ceramic oil lamps discovered in the excavation,” Nagorsky explained.

She added, “This site displays the historical gamut between prosperity and decline of the Samaritan community. Its long-term existence and impressive finds will allow us to reconstruct its history over centuries.”

The IAA has stated that preservation efforts at the site will continue in tandem with plans for the city’s development, so that both its historical and modern idenтιтies are honored.