Mystery in Beit Shemesh: Who was the Glorious Martyr? An ancient, 1,500 year-old Byzantine church was recently discovered in archaeological excavations organized by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) in Ramat Beit Shemesh. Amongst the remains of this church, spectacular mosaic floors were discovered that include an inscription in Greek referring to the “Glorious Martyr” for whom the church was dedicated. Since the church’s discovery, the identity of the martyr has fixated archaeologists at t