Gaza workers discover what could be an ancient church
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Palestinian tourism officials say construction workers in the Gaza Strip have discovered what they believe to be a Christian religious site from the Byzantine era.
Heyam al-Bitar, research director for the Hamas-run Tourism and Antiquities Ministry, said on Tuesday that the discovery included remnants of marble Corinthian pillars, foundations and crowns, some of them with a Greek cross.
She says the ruins likely belong to a church-like structure that existed in what is now Gaza City. She says they date back to the sixth century, and are characteristic of the era of Emperor Justinian.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The items were discovered during construction of a shopping center. The antiquities are to be taken to the ministry's museum for further study.
Today, the overwhelmingly Muslim Gaza Strip is home to a small Christian community.