Sitting quietly off the main shuk road in the heart of Nazareth, less than one block away from the famous Church of the Annunciation (also known as the Church of All Nations), lies the quaint guesthouse owned and managed by the Religious Sisters of Nazareth, a Roman Catholic order of nuns who have had a presence in the Holy land since the late 1800's. The Sisters have owned the magnificent building for over 100 plus years and recently converted parts of their facility into a lovely little guest house. However, the comfortable yet simple accommodations are not all that meets the eye. Hidden several metres below the tiled terraces are significant ruins dating back to the 1st century or possibly earlier, an archaeological find discovered in the early 1900's .

Sister Stephana of Italy was our tour guide and accompanied us throughout our underground exploration. The site consists of a series of caves including at least one large home as well as water cisterns hidden beneath the residence, a familial burial area as well as several other rooms. The large water cistern is known as the Cistern of the Great Church, and is a sizeable wel

The discovery of an ancient aqueduct that served as the principal water supply to the Sultan''s Pool outside the Old City of Jerusalem was announced by the Israel Antiquities Authority. The aqueduct, which supplied pilgrims and residents with water for both drinking and purification, was discovered in a salvage excavation in the city's Mishkenot Sha'ananim neighborhood ahead of the planned construction of the Montefiore Museum at the site, the state-run archeological body said. The upscale district overlooking the Old City walls, which is now a top city attraction for artists and painters, was the first Jewish neighborhood outside the Old City.

Currently a popular venue for large outdoor cultural events in the city, Sultan's Pool, located at the foot of the neighborhood, was for hundreds of years one of the city's most important water reservoirs. The aqueduct was repeatedly used and repaired for about two thousand years, dating back to the Second Temple period, to supply the many pilgrims who flocked to Jerusalem with drinking water, said Dr. Ron Beeri, director of the excavation at the site.

The recent excavation focused on a section of the previously uncovered "low level" aqueduct, one of two ancient water conduits that originated in the Hebrib and Solomons Pools and terminated in J

One of the most well known ancient parables returned to life today about 10 minute east of Jerusalem. the Inn of the good Smaritan adn the new Museuam of the good samaritan opened to the public on the anicent site where, it is said, the famous parable from Luke took place.

The site is one of the very few biblical sites that is open to all inhabitants of Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The new museum is the only mosaic museum in Israel, displaying mosaics and other finds discovered in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. It houses some of the most fabulous discoveries in the region inlcuding a mosaic floor form a church crypt at Khubet Bureiket. Other significant discoveries on display include a mosaic floor from the Hugurbet Huriye and Khirbet el Latatin. Also an ancient mosaic floor from a synagague in Gaza is on display. One of the most unique displays in the not to be missed back room is an ancient Greek inscription that was discovered in the Martyrius Monastary from the Byzantine period, discovered in Maale Adummim. The mosaic inside this monast

 Ras El Amud Neighborhood  - Jerusalem surroundings area

Settlement remains dating to different phases of the Middle Canaanite period (2200-1900 BCE) and the last years of the First Temple period (eighth-seventh centuries BCE), including an inscription in ancient Hebrew script that mentions the name Menachem, were recently exposed in an archaeological excavation the Israel Antiquities Authority is conducting in the Ras el-Amud neighborhood of Jerusalem, prior to the construction of a girls’ school.

Among the remains from the First Temple period is a handle on which the Hebrew name Menachem is engraved. According to archaeologist Dr. Ron Beeri, the excavation director on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, “This important find joins similar names that were found in archaeological excavations in the Ancient East and in Israel in particular. The names Menachem and Yinachem are expressions of condolence – possibly related to the death of family members”.

Dr. Beeri adds that such names already appeared earlier in t