Israeli archaeologists have announced a remarkable discovery in the ancient city of Hippos, which may be the oldest known dedicated facility for the care of the elderly. The finding, located in Hippos National Park near the Sea of Galilee, challenges modern perceptions of social welfare by suggesting that organized care for seniors existed as a community institution at least 1,600 years ago.
The key to this interpretation is a Greek mosaic inscription unearthed at the entrance to a ruined building. Dated to the late 4th or early 5th century AD, the mosaic floor bears a unique blessing: “Peace to the elders.” According to the research team from the University of Haifa’s Zinman Institute of Archaeology, the direct address to a specific age group, found near the city’s main crossroads, is a rare and significant clue.
Dr. Michael Eisenberg, co-director of the excavation, explained that the inscription points to an organized social infrastructure that went beyond traditional family units. “This may represent one of the earliest pieces of material evidence from the Holy Land showing how the Christian community began to assume responsibility for care that was previously provided exclusively by families,” he stated. Dr. Eisenberg believes the site was a communal and spiritual institution, integrated into city life and reflecting the era’s social values of providing dignified care for elderly Christians.
The discovery site, Hippos (also known as Sussita), was a thriving Greco-Roman city that later became a prominent Christian center during the Byzantine era. Its history came to an abrupt end when it was devastated by a major earthquake in 749 AD and subsequently abandoned, leaving its ruins preserved for centuries. The excavation provides a unique snapshot of daily life during this transitional period in the region’s history.
While historians have known about Christian hospices and homes for the elderly from written sources of the 5th and 6th centuries, the Hippos finding is a landmark discovery. It provides rare archaeological proof that directly corroborates these texts, suggesting that the concept of institutionalized social welfare, a cornerstone of the Byzantine world, was being put into practice on the ground. The discovery offers tangible evidence that organized concern for the aging and infirm is not a modern invention but a value with deep historical roots.