A 1,500-year-old, Byzantine-ear monastery with well-preserved mosaic floors has been discovered near the Bedouin village of Hura in the South District of Israel, a team of archeologist has reported.

Measuring 20 × 35 meters, or 65 x 100 feet, the monastary is divided into halls built along an east-west axis, including a prayer hall and dining room with remarkable mosaic carpets, the researchers said.

The prayer hall in particular is paved with a mosaic pattern of leaves that are vividly depicted in blue, red, yellow and green colors.

Then, the dining room floor is a colorful mosaic pavement of floral motifs, geometric decorations, amphorae, which are large, Greek-styled holding jars, baskets and a pair of birds.

"It seems that this monastery, located near the Byzantine settlement of Horbat Hur, is one monastery in a series of monasteries situated alongside a road that linked Transjordan with the Be'er Sheva Valley," research team leader Daniel Varga, from the Israel Antiquities Authority, said in a report by Sci-News.com

"The mosaic carpets also include four Greek dedicatory inscriptions denoting the names of the monastery's abbots: Eliyahu, Nonus, Solomon and Ilrion, and the dates when the pavements were constructed in the different halls," he said.

The inscriptions helped archeologists date the monastery to the second half of the 6th century C.E. -- or 6th century A.D.

"One of the inscriptions is bi-lingual," noted Varga, and "in addition to the Greek there is also a section of the inscription that is written in the Syriac language."

The researchers said there were various groupings of pottery discovered during the monastery excavation.

Varga explained the entrance to the monastery was located in the west. And the structure's western wing, divided into four service rooms, was paved with a white mosaic. Much of that art was destroyed, he believes, as a result of the collapse of the building, which likely occurred sometime at the end of the Byzantine period.

"These include large storage vessels such as different kinds of amphorae and jars, cooking pots, kraters [large Greek vases typically used to mix wines], and bowls," Varga added. "In addition, numerous and sundry glass vessels ascribed to the Byzantine period were discovered, as well as coins. These finds indicate there was a rich material culture in the monastery."