The remains of a Byzantine Church dating back some 1,500 years in the northern city of Nahariya were hit by a Hezbollah rocket on Friday night, the Israel Antiquities Authority confirmed to The Times of Israel on Sunday, after the news was first reported on Hebrew outlet Ynet.

The rocket hit a modern structure inaugurated in 2022 to preserve an impressive mosaic floor spanning over 500 square meters (nearly 5,400 square feet) and make it accessible to the public.

“Today, a meeting was held on site with the participation of archaeologists and conservators from the Israel Antiquities Authority [and] representatives of the municipality and the Property Tax Authority,” an IAA spokesperson said in a written statement. “An on-site assessment indicates that the mosaic was covered by debris from the modern structure in which it had been preserved, but was not damaged.”

Located in the Katznelson neighborhood, the church’s remains were first discovered in 1964 during the construction of a local school.

According to a 2022 statement by the IAA, the floor was part of a........

© The Times of Israel