Located among the remains of the ancient city of Hippos, this 1,600-year-old site is marked by a unique mosaic bearing the inscription, "Peace be with the elders."
Dr. Michael EisenbergThe mosaic inscription found at the site, flanked by images of geese, trees, and fruit.
During excavations in Hippos (Sussita) National Park, archaeologists from Haifa University came across a 1,600-year-old mosaic. Decorated with flowers, birds, a cross, and an inscription referencing the elderly, this mosaic suggests that a nursing home once stood at this site long ago. In fact, archaeologists believe that it may be the oldest nursing home ever uncovered anywhere in the world.
This discovery provides not only a unique look at how societies cared for the elderly during antiquity, but also how some of the first Christian communities may have developed in the Byzantine era.
The Possible Discovery Of History’s Oldest Nursing Home In The Golan Heights
According to The Times of Israel, hints of this possible 1,600-year-old nursing home came during excavations in Hippos (Sussita) National Park near the Sea of Galilee. While digging in between two of the ancient city’s major streets, roughly 300 feet from a central plaza, archaeologists from the University of Haifa came across an ancient mosaic set at the entrance of a building.
“We were naturally surprised, as we did not expect to find mosaic remains here,” Dr. Michael Eisenberg of the Zinman Institute of Archaeology and the Department of Archaeology at University of Haifa, and the co-director of the excavation project, told All That’s Interesting. “Those are usually highly expected in churches and wealthy houses.”
Dr. Michael EisenbergArchaeologists cleaning the mosaic found in the Golan Heights.
Dating back to the late fourth or early fifth century C.E., the mosaic contains a number of colorful figures, including a cross, fruits, vessels, Egyptian geese, and cypress trees. Two birds also surround an inscription written in Greek which reads: “Peace be with elders.”
Initially, archaeologists believed that the mosaic might have marked the entrance of a church. But as Eisenberg told All That’s Interesting, they found “no remnants of church architecture” at the site which led his team to explore other options. Ultimately, they landed on the possibility that the mosaic had marked a nursing home for Christian elders.
“After a while, with the input of experts specializing in such institutions, we began considering [the nursing home] option,” Eisenberg told All That’s Interesting. “It has become the best, and frankly so far the only, option to consider.”
If the archaeologists are correct, it would be the oldest known nursing home ever found. Such facilities have been mentioned in written sources from the fifth and sixth centuries C.E., but this structure in the Golan Heights appears to be slightly older and marks the first hard evidence of a nursing home ever unearthed.
Dr. Michael EisenbergAn overview of the archaeological excavations at the ancient ruins of Hippos, where the possible nursing home mosaic was found.
In a study about the find published in Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, Eisenberg and his co-authors described the nursing home as a “communal and spiritual institution integrated into the fabric of city life and reflecting the social values of the period.”
They explained: “The inscription addresses a specific public directly, which is a rare glimpse into the daily lives of older people in antiquity. It may provide 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. This development likely reflects new Christian ways of life outside traditional family structures.”
The Early Christian History Of Hippos In The Byzantine Era
The discovery of what appears to be a Christian nursing home in Hippos National Park isn’t a total surprise. The city was an important center for early Christianity in the Middle East.
Dr. Avishai Teicher/Wikimedia CommonsA small sample of the vast array of ancient ruins that have been unearthed at Hippos.
Hippos once belonged to the Decapolis, a group of Hellenistic cities located near the Sea of Galilee during the Roman and Byzantine periods. But as Christianity spread, it became an important center for the rapidly growing new religion. Not only did the city have at least seven churches, but it also served as a bishop’s seat. Outside of its religious importance, Hippos also developed into an important social and economic hub.
Invasions and natural disasters took their toll, however. After an earthquake in the 8th century C.E., the city was slowly and steadily abandoned.
But during its peak, Hippos was a bustling city that made concerted efforts to care for elderly people. The city’s nursing home was centrally located and well marked, a clear sign that local people at the time placed a great deal of importance on providing care and dignity for their elders.
After reading about the possible oldest nursing home ever discovered, look through this stunning collection of some of the most impressive ancient ruins from around the world. Then, discover the fascinating story of Golgotha, the “Place of the Skulls” where the Bible says Jesus Christ was crucified.
