During salvage excavations conducted south of Ramat Beit Shemesh by the Israel Antiquities Authority with the support of the Israel Ministry of Construction and Housing, remains of an impressive Byzantine church were discovered. It is not known precisely when the church was built but mosaic inscriptions at the site commemorate its expansion under Emperor Justinian, and later under the patronage of Emperor Tiberius II Constantine.
One inscription mentions that the church was built in honor of an anonymous “glorious martyr”, whose remains were kept inside; A martyr (from Greek, meaning “witness”) was a sacred figure and model of absolute devotion, willing to die for their faith.
The exhibition “Glorious Martyr” presents finds, which shed light on the importance of the Church of the “Glorious Martyr” as a significant site for pilgrimage during the Byzantine Period.
