Ein Yael Floor was discovered in 1988 by Gershon Edelstein of the Antiquities Authority, while excavating an ancient agricultural farm. (Pl. 1) [4]
The farm overlooks the Repha’im Valley and all the buildings discovered stand on the valley’s steeply sloping southern side. A perennial spring is channeled (by rock-cut and built conduits) to a Roman villa, a bathhouse complex and three reservoirs, which irrigate eight extensively tilled terraces. The Mosaic Floor was found in a round, tower-like structure standing between the reservoirs.
The wall of the structure, preserved to a height of some 1.5 m., retains on its inner surface the remnants of fresco painting. Its northern side was partly demolished by the later construction of a masonry wall to support the large reservoir beside it.
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4. Plan of of Roman villa, bath house and baptistery with Mosaic Floor of David's star at Ein Yael (near Jerusalem)
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In the round building’s west side there is a 0.8 m. -wide opening, exactly opposite a square water basin, 4.35 m. long, 2.75m. wide, and 1.0 m. deep, and floored with ceramic tiles. I am convinced that we have here the open-air Baptistery of a Neo-Christian community before us. The round building served the consecrating priest while the square basin – it has a 0.85 m. -wide opening in its south side – served to immerse the catechumens . [Acts 2:38-41]
The design of the mosaic floor (Pl. 1) is conceived as a single dominating Star of David with two interlacing unilateral triangles (as usual), traced by a two-strand Guilloche and elaborately framed. The Star itself is inscribed into a single black encircling line. Its hexagonal center is filled by a six-petalled Lily sign (Shoshan), while its outer angles are filled by 3 tri-petalled Shoshan signs and three Pelta (Amazon) signs, juxtaposed. All six outer signs are pointing inside.
The circular frame comprises a two-strand Guilloche within an inner and outer circle of successive stepped triangles (“crew-steps”) turned towards the Guilloche circle). It is enclosed within a continuous black borderline like that encircling the Star itself. The predominant colours are red, yellow, and black . [5]
