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RAHAT, ISRAEL—BBC News reports that the remains of a possible mosque dating to the seventh or eighth century A.D. were discovered in the Negev Desert during construction work. Jon Seligman and Shahar Zur of the Israel Antiquities Authority said the rectangular structure features a “mihrab,” or prayer niche, facing south toward Mecca. Local farmers are thought to have built the structure shortly after the Arab conquest of the region in A.D. 636. Seligman and Zur said the mosque is the first to be found in region, and would be “a rare discovery anywhere in the world.” To read about other early Islamic structures from the area, go to “Expanding the Story.”
