A 1,800-year-old waterspout was accidentally discovered by a visitor to Tzipori National Park in the Galilee, Israel's National Authority for Nature and Parks said.
Archaeologists say the waterspout, resembling an anthropomorphic lion head, was most likely viewed as “idolatrous” by Jews at the time and may have been mentioned in the Babylonian Talmud.
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1,800-year-old waterspout discovered at Tzipori National Park
(Photo: Israel Nature and Parks Authority)
"Tzipori Park, named after the ancient capital of Galilee, and which shelters numerous vestiges, never ceases to surprise with the archaeological discoveries that are made there," Dr. Yossi Bordovich, head of the heritage, said.
"The remains of a dozen beautiful Roman and Byzantine mosaics have made Tzipori an internationally renowned site."
"In recent years, additional excavations have uncovered, among other things, an old wine press, a small figurine in the shape of a bull and a ritual basin, perhaps used by Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi," he added.
The fountain was discovered by David Goren, a local resident who saw a "shape with the head of a lion with human features" protruding from the ground.
It measures approximately nearly six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter and is made of marble, most likely originating from Turkey.
The fountain is expected to be handed over to the National Antiquities Authority and will later be on display in Tzipori National Park.