Restoring the Roman Basilica in Ashkelon National Park

The Ashkelon basilica, a large public building that is believed to have been built during Herod’s rule in the 1st century BCE, was destroyed in an earthquake in 350 CE. Its approximately 50 marble columns, each weighing over seven tons, were later sawed up and used as building supplies. As Judith Sudilovsky reports, conservationists have painstakingly collected the remaining marble material from the original structure and put the pieces together “like a puzzle.” The project of excavation and restoration, which began over a century ago, is scheduled to conclude within the next year.