Inscribed Byzantine Greek Stone Dedicated To Mary Discovered in Israel
An ancient, inscribed Byzantine Greek stone has been discovered in Israel’s Negev desert with a rare Greek dedication to Maria, the Mother of God. The Byzantine Greek stone was found in Israel’s Nitzana National Park, located close to the Egyptian border. The Nitzana area is an important archaeological resource detailing the transitionary period from the Byzantine to the early Islamic period. It was on a hill topped by the towering remains of the ancient Nabatean city of Nitzana, that flourished during the Roman period, that archaeologists discovered the ancient Greek tombstone and the inscription reading, “Blessed Maria, who lived an immaculate life.”