Mosaic inscription reveals early Byzantine elder care facility

Archaeologists excavating at Hippos-Sussita near the Sea of Galilee discovered a mosaic bearing the inscription "Peace be with the elders," accompanied by a Christian cross and the Greek letters alpha and omega. The mosaic, measuring roughly 20 feet long and 2.5 feet wide and decorated with Egyptian geese, cypress trees, fruits, and vessels, was likely placed at the entrance to a building. By examining pottery layers above and below the mosaic, researchers dated it to the late fourth or early fifth century CE. According to the excavation directors and an epigraphist publishing in Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, the inscription points to the existence of a dedicated elder care facility at the site. While textual sources suggest elder care institutions first appeared in the early fourth century, this mosaic discovery represents the earliest archaeological evidence of such a facility. Co-director Michael Eisenberg stated the finding demonstrates that care for the elderly was part of social institutions and communal life around 1,600 years ago, integrated into the fabric of city life and reflecting the social values of the Byzantine period. Hippos-Sussita was a significant economic, cultural, and religious center in the Galilee region during the Byzantine period, serving as the seat of the local bishop.

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Source: Biblical Archaeology Society — https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-israel/elder-care-in-antiquity/