Ancient tombs with vibrant wall paintings open to public in southern Israel

Two nearly 2,000-year-old tombs with magnificent wall paintings will be open to the public for the first time in southern Israel after a painstaking conservation process. The Israel Antiquities Authority said British archaeologists first discovered the sand-filled tombs in the 1930s, awed by the colorful paintings on the wall depicting vibrant grape vines twining their way around birds, animals, and mythological characters. The tombs, located a few hundred meters from the beach, were likely the burial place for aristocratic Romans some 1,700 years ago, when Ashkelon was a Roman city, according to archaeologists with the Antiquities Authority. The tombs will be open to the public in a new archaeological park.