Ancient Marble Statues Unearthed at Binyamina Rail Works

Two intact marble statues about 1,700 years old were uncovered at the entrance to Binyamina during archaeological excavations linked to the construction of fast coastal rail lines for the Transportation Ministry and Israel Railways. The find was made by the Israel Antiquities Authority while digging for the rail infrastructure, and the statues were found carefully placed face down in a wine-collection pit from a Roman-Byzantine winepress.

The rare objects are busts, upper-body sculptures depicting figures from the Greek-Roman world. Archaeologist Michael Sorotskin said, “While excavating the winepress we saw something sticking out of the ground,” adding that at first the team thought it was pottery, but then realized it was marble. “I am still struggling to find the words,” he said.

Excavation directors Eliran Oran and Avishag Reis said the discovery was completely unexpected and came on the final day of the work. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime discovery,” they said. Dr. Peter Gendelman, an expert on the Caesarea area at the Antiquities Authority, reported that one statue bears a Greek inscription with the name “Lycurgus.” He said this could refer either to Sparta’s founder or an Athenian statesman, but the study is only beginning.

Gendelman said such statues in the Roman period were usually displayed in public buildings or elite homes, and noted that remains of a bathhouse had previously been found nearby. He suggested the statues may have decorated a luxurious villa belonging to a Caesarea resident. The statues will now undergo additional cleaning and conservation to determine the figures and their original setting. They will be shown to the public for the first time on Thursday, June 18, at an archaeology conference at the Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv. Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu said the discovery shows archaeology can open a window into the lives of people who lived here centuries ago, and museum CEO Gil Omer said the public is getting a rare chance to see an exceptional find soon after it was uncovered.