Highway expansion work in Israel reveals 1,500-year-old church outside Jerusalem

JERUSALEM – Workers widening the main highway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv have stumbled upon the remnants of a 1,500-year-old Byzantine church.

The site's excavation director, Annette Nagar, said Wednesday that the church outside Jerusalem served as way station for travelers en route from the Mediterranean coast. Mosaics, ceramic lamps and a Baptism site were uncovered.

Israel's antiquities authority says the site will be preserved in consultation with the highway company.