Archaeologists at a dig in the Lower Galilee say they have discovered a Sabbath boundary stone etched with Hebrew writing they believe dates back to the Roman or Byzantine era.

A recent visitor to the rural community of Timrat, about midway between Haifa and the Sea of Galilee came upon the stone by chance.

Mordechai Aviam, head of the Institute for Galilean Archeology at Kinneret College told Xinhua on Tuesday that he is all but certain that the three letters etched on the stone, shin, bet, and resh spell out "Shabbat," the Hebrew term for the Sabbath day of rest.

Many Jews lived in the Galilee between the 1st and 7th century, including major Talmudic figures, strengthening Aviam's contention about the inscription.

Aviam said that this was the first time such a stone which delineates an area where Jews, according to religious law, can carry items during the day of rest, has been found with Hebrew lettering. He said the only other stone like it, but with Greek letters, was found in the Galilee village of Usha.