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Discovery of Mosaic Halts Work at Jerusalem Walkway

[Independent-UK] Donald Macintyre - A geometric patterned fifth or sixth century AD Byzantine mosaic fragment was exposed by archaeological workers Wednesday at the bottom of an underground shaft where one of the pillars for a walkway connecting to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem is intended to go. "We have a real time discovery," reported Gideon Avni, director of excavations and surveys at the Israel Antiquities Authority. Dr. Avni vehemently denied claims by some Islamic leaders - and echoed by demonstrators from Cairo to Damascus - that the excavations posed a threat to the foundations of the mosques, saying they were all taking place in a limited area outside the walls of the compound. The Israeli authorities are arranging for webcam pictures of the dig to prove his case.
2007-02-15 01:00:00
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