On the side of the new road, Route 2, connecting Latrun to modern-day Modi?in, stand the remains of a Hasmonean village, including an ancient synagogue, a mikveh, a huge 28-room villa, agricultural equipment, a storage facility from the Bar-Kochva period and other historically important items. The site was revealed during excavations for the new inter-city road approximately half a year ago and this week the mayor of Modi?in, Moshe Shechter, announced that the city will be restoring the ancient synagogue at the archaeological site. President Moshe Katsav, due to attend the ceremony officially declaring Modi?in a city in December, will visit the site of the ancient synagogue along with the Director of the Antiquities Authority.
Last week, Alex Weinreb of SAMAN (Hebrew acronym for: Environment, Heritage, Scenery), a preservation society, wrote a letter to Mayor Shechter insisting that especially during this year, the year that modern Modi?in is to be officially declared a city, ?we develop and preserve the heritage of the historical Modi?in.? According to the Modi?in news website, 443.com, after a meeting between Shechter, representatives of the Antiquities Authority and the Ministry of Housing, it was decided to invest 500,000 NIS to preserve the Hasmonean site. The sum will be contributed by the Ministry, Modi?in City Hall, the Antiquities Authority and charitable donations. Mayor Shechter is also acting towards the creation of a public city authority that will have as its mandate preservation and development of the many other archaeological sites discovered around Modi?in.
Last week, Alex Weinreb of SAMAN (Hebrew acronym for: Environment, Heritage, Scenery), a preservation society, wrote a letter to Mayor Shechter insisting that especially during this year, the year that modern Modi?in is to be officially declared a city, ?we develop and preserve the heritage of the historical Modi?in.? According to the Modi?in news website, 443.com, after a meeting between Shechter, representatives of the Antiquities Authority and the Ministry of Housing, it was decided to invest 500,000 NIS to preserve the Hasmonean site. The sum will be contributed by the Ministry, Modi?in City Hall, the Antiquities Authority and charitable donations. Mayor Shechter is also acting towards the creation of a public city authority that will have as its mandate preservation and development of the many other archaeological sites discovered around Modi?in.