A church from the Byzantine period dating to around 400 CE was discovered in the Banyas Springs Nature Reserve, also known as the Nahal Hermon.
During the excavation, researchers found niches, altars and other items indicating that the site was previously a sacred Roman complex open to the sky used for worship of the god Pan. A small pool was also found in the center of the compound.
According to scholars, the church, which used pagan architecture, was founded on the site when Christianity became the official religion in Israel in the fourth century CE. According to unusual slopes and depressions in the mosaic floor and in the walls of the compound, researchers estimate that the church was hit by an earthquake that struck the area, causing half of it to sink.
