A floor mosaic bearing the Greek words "Peace be with the elders" has led researchers to identify what could be the earliest known care home for elderly people.
The 1,600-year-old facility emerged during excavations at Hippos, a Byzantine-era episcopal centre close to the Sea of Galilee in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
University of Haifa archaeologists made the discovery whilst working in a residential district of the ancient settlement.
The building dates to the fourth or fifth century AD, according to the research team.
The find represents potentially the first physical proof of institutional elderly care from this period, though written records from later centuries mention those type of facilities.
The mosaic sits at the entrance to a structure situated about 98 metres from the city's main square.
Researchers believe its positioning served to identify the building's function for both residents and those visiting.
The artwork incorporated several meaningful symbols alongside the Greek inscription.
The mosaic floor with the inscription in a medallion
|M. EISENBERG
Cypress trees featured in the design, which ancient cultures linked with eternal existence.
Depictions of fruit represented both plenty and immortality in Byzantine symbolism.
Egyptian geese appeared as well, commonly understood to signify souls who had achieved blessedness in period artwork.
Such direct mention of elderly people in ancient inscriptions remains extraordinarily uncommon, highlighting this discovery's importance.
Details of the medallion with the inscription
|M. EISENBERG
Dr Michael Eisenberg described the mosaic as providing "a tangible, dated, and clear indication of an institution designed for the elderly".
"This is living proof that care and concern for the elderly are not just a modern idea, but were part of social institutions and concepts as far back as about 1,600 years ago," Dr Eisenberg said.
He emphasised that the discovery demonstrates how Byzantine communities created facilities specifically for senior care alongside their religious establishments.
"It shows that Byzantine society established not only religious centres but also places dedicated to dignity and care for its seniors," he added.
The research group's conclusions appeared in the Journal of Papyrology and Epigraphy, where they characterised the find as offering "a rare glimpse into the daily lives of older people in antiquity".
The team described the facility as "a communal and spiritual institution integrated into the fabric of city life and reflecting the social values of the period".
Their analysis suggests this discovery could represent "one of the earliest material testimonies in the Holy Land, showing how the Christian community began assuming responsibilities for care that had previously been handled by family networks alone."