Avdat, Israel, Byzantine sanctuary and altar
Avdat was a major station along the Petra-Gaza road after the Roman annexation of Nabataea in 106 CE. Sites along the Petra-Gaza road were apparently used by the Roman army in the 4th and 5th centuries when the road continued to function as an artery between Petra and the Nabataean Negev settlements. The early town was heavily damaged by a major earthquake, sometime in the early 5th century CE. Under Byzantine rule, in 5th and 6th century, a citadel and a monastery with two churches were built on the acropolis of Avdat. Saint Theodore's Church is the most interesting Byzantine relic in Avdat. Marble tombstones inserted in the floor are covered with Greek inscriptions. St. Theodore was a Greek martyr of the 4th century. The Monastery stands next to the church and nearby a lintel is carved with lions and it marks the entrance to the castle.
Size: 3778px × 2518px
Location: Avdat, Negev desert, Israel
Photo credit: © B. Adania / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: altar, antiquity, apse, archeology, avdat, byzantine, christianity, church, church-architecture, desert, history, israel, nabateans, negev, orthodox, religion, roman, sanctuary
