In Lavi Forest near Golani Junction in northern Israel, adjacent to the Sanhedrin Trail, an archaeological excavation is uncovering the remains of DeLavi Inn – an ancient way station that operated during the late Second Temple period, approximately 2,000 years ago, according to a post by the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The inn served travelers between Tiberias and Sepphoris and was significant enough to be mentioned in the Talmud, where it appears in two distinct stories. In one account, Rabbi Yirmiyah joined donkey drivers staying at the inn in saying the “zimmun”, an addition to Birkat Hamazon, despite not eating with them – a situation that later became the basis for a halakhic principle. In another instance, cheese found at the inn with unknown ownership and kosher status was deemed permissible to eat, based on the assumption that most visitors to the establishment were observant Jews.
“This is an opportunity to learn about daily life in the Galilee during the late Second Temple period. The excavation allows us to better understand the economic and cultural connections of the era,” said Noam Zilberberg, the excavation director from the Israel Antiquities Authority/
The excavation is open to volunteers every Sunday from now until March.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.
This article was originally published at www.jpost.com
