Archaeologists have discovered a winery dating to the Roman or Byzantine period on the site that is set to house residential buildings for Jerusalem’s ultra-orthodox population.
The discovery is the latest twist for a site that has quite a history. It was home for the Schneller Orphanage from 1860 until World War II. During the British Mandate, its German inhabitants were expelled and a military base was established there. Following the British withdrawal in 1948, the compound was turned over to the Hagana, a Jewish paramilitary organization, and later served as an army base for the Israel Defense Force until 2008.
Ahead of the new construction, the Israel Antiquities Authority was tasked with doing an archaeological excavation. During the process, they found the winery that is about 1,600 years old that included a pressing surface paved with a white mosaic. There is also a pit for pressing the grapes and eight cells around the pressing surface that probably were used for storing the grapes, and possibly for making different flavors of wine.
Read More: Foxnews
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