Church of mystery martyr unearthed

BET SHEMESH, Israel - The remains of a sixth-century Byzantine church dedicated to an unnamed "glorious martyr" with elaborate mosaics, a rare crypt and a large collection of lamps were unveiled in central Israel on Wednesday.

The complex, which spans over a third of an acre, or 1,350 square meters, was found during salvage excavations ahead of the construction of a new neighborhood for the city Bet Shemesh, west of Jerusalem.

The mosaics in the church depict themes from nature, such as leaves, birds and fruit, as well as geometrical elements, with imported capitals topping pillars, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority, or IAA, which carried out the excavation.