Live Science
By Skyler Ware
June 10, 2025
A 1,700-year-old Roman sarcophagus depicting a legendary drinking contest has been discovered in Israel, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced Monday (June 9).
Archaeologists uncovered the artifact, which dates back to the second or third century A.D., near the ancient city of Caesarea along the country’s northwest coast. The carved marble depicts a drinking contest between the demigod Hercules and Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and parties, who is equivalent to Bacchus in the Roman pantheon. Though similar scenes appear in mosaics from the same period, the find marks the first appearance of this particular story on a sarcophagus from the region.