The Israel Antiquities Authority, an independent governmental authority, said this week that archaeologists have unearthed rare items found in the ruins of a Byzantine settlement near the city of Ashkelon, a coastal city in the South District of Israel on the Mediterranean coast, about 31 miles south of Tel Aviv, and 8 miles north of the border with the Gaza Strip.

The Christian lantern is significant because of the rarity of such items, The Associated Press quoted Archaeologist Saar Ganor as saying. It was carved in a way that when lit, glowing crosses were projected on walls of a room.

"The wine press exceeded 100 square meters in area. It consisted of a large treading floor surrounded by six compartments that situated north and east of the trading floor," Dr. Rina Avner, the excavation director, said in a statement. "These compartments were used for fermenting grapes upon their arrival from the vineyards, allowing to produce high quality of wine."

Photography by AP

"The owner of the wine press was probably a Christian, because near it we found a ceramic lantern decorated by five crosses," Avner said. "The lantern was designed as a miniature church building, with an oval opening on one side that enabled to insert an oil lamp. The other sides of the lantern were decorated by geometric impressions creating a design of palm branches. The crosses were carved in the walls of the lantern, so when the lantern was lit in a small room glowing crosses were projected on the walls and the ceiling."

CP