november 18, 2005
Ruins of 'Oldest Church' Uncovered Beneath Israeli Prison
The ruins of what could be the oldest Christian church in the Middle East, and possibly the entire world, were discovered a few days ago in the Megiddo prison area, an Israeli television station reported this weekend.
According to Assist News Service, an online report by Sharon Rofeh-Ophir reported on an archeological dig in Megiddo that uncovered what appears to be a church dating back to 3rd, 4th century A.D.
Rofeh-Ohir says the Israel Prison Services approached the government for a construction permit in the Megiddo area where it had planned to expand the prison. But the Israel Antiquities Authority demanded the government uphold constructions, paving the way for archeological digs in the area.
The online report says the Megiddo area is known as a rich terrain for archeological findings from different historical ages. It adds that prison services allowed archeologists to draft prisoners to their digs where a number of coins and crockery have been found since February.
Rofeh-Ophir states: "Two weeks ago diggers discovered what seems to be an architectural structure which was later identified as the remains of a church. Archeologists identified a spectacular mosaic floor and the foundations of a building dating back to the third or fourth century.
The discovery sent joyous waves among archeologists working on the project who soon realized the magnitude of the discovery.
Ornaments paved the foundations of the church where inscriptions and biblical citations in old Greek were found. One of the inscriptions read that the building was dedicated to "the memory of the Lord Jesus Cristos."
Yotam Tefer, the dig's supervisor, said: "Christian religious buildings from that period are rare archeological findings in the Land of Israel. Mosaics in general and mosaics with inscriptions from the third and fourth centuries A.D. are the rarest. This is a unique building which important for an initial understanding of Christianity as a well-known and official religion."
Rofeh-Ophir's report says that in the center of the building the ruins of an altar were found. Archeologists noted that the ruins date from a period that preceded the crucifix as the official ecclesiastical emblem, which explains why fish-shaped decorations were found on most of the mosaic. The fish symbol is known to be the symbol of early Christianity.
Digs in the western parts of the prison discovered residential structures of communities dating to the Byzantine epoch of the fourth and sixth centuries A.D.
A Jewish cleansing bath from the Roman period was found in archeological rubble retrieved from that area.
Shoka Dorfman of the Israel Antiquities Authority said that consultations with leading archeologists will be launched next week to discuss the future of the findings.
The Israel Prisons Authority told Rofeh-Ophir, "We are waiting for the decisions of the Antiquities Authority to see whether the rare findings will be taken to another location or will remain in place. We will build another two buildings to complete the compound, yet in the wake of the discoveries we will decide how to proceed with constructions at a later date."
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