Excavations in Sepphoris , in the central Galilee region , six kilometers north-northwest of Nazareth , have uncovered a rich and diverse historical and architectural legacy that includes Assyrian , Hellenistic , Judean , Babylonian , Roman , Byzantine , Islamic , Crusader , Arabic and Ottoman influences . The site is especially rich in mosaics belonging to different periods . Major findings include the remains of a 6th-century synagogue , evidence of an interesting fusion of Jewish and pagan beliefs . A Roman villa , considered the centerpiece of the discoveries , which dates to the year 200 CE , was destroyed in the Galilee earthquake of 363 CE . The mosaic floor was discovered in August 1987 during an expedition led by Eric and Carol Meyers , of Duke University digging with Ehud Netzer , a locally trained archaeologist from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem . It depicts Dionysus , the god of wine , socializing with Pan and Hercules in several of the 15 panels . In its center is a lifelike image of a young lady , possibly Venus , which has been named " The Mona Lisa of the Galilee . " Additional finds include a Roman theater on the northern slope of the hill , and the remains of a 5th-century public building , with a large and intricate mosaic floor
Galilee earthquake of 363
Galilee earthquake of 363
Archaeology of Israel