Jerusalem, Sept. 2 -- Israeli archaeologists have uncovered an agricultural estate about 1,600 years old, the Israel Antiquities Authority said in a statement on Tuesday.
The ancient estate, found in Kafr Qasim in central Israel, includes colorful mosaic floors, ritual baths, and an olive oil press.
It was located at an archaeological site where an important Samaritan settlement thrived for about 400 years, from the late Roman period to the end of the Byzantine era.
Historical sources describe the site as the birthplace of Menander, a Samaritan magician and successor to Simon Magus, who was regarded as the father of Gnostic sects and one of Christianity's earliest converts.
The archaeologists noted that the size and design of the buildi...