JERUSALEM (JTA) — A nearly 1,800-year-old Roman statue of a woman was discovered near Ashkelon after it was uncovered by a severe storm.
The weekend storm caused a cliff near a seaside archeological dig to crumble, exposing the nearly 4-foot-high statue, as well as the remains of a large building believed to be part of a Roman bathhouse.
The statue, which is missing its head and a hand, is thought to have stood inside the bathhouse. The white marble statue is wearing a toga and sandals, and may have been imported from Italy or Greece, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Archeological sites all along the Mediterranean coast were damaged by the storm.
