Megiddo church (Israel)

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Megiddo prison from the top of Tel Megiddo. The church is located on the prison grounds.
To be distinguished from the Megiddo Church in America founded in 1880

The ancient Megiddo church near Tel Megiddo, Israel is an archeological site which preserves the foundations of one of the oldest church buildings ever discovered by archaeologists, dating to the 3rd century AD.[1]

In 2005, Israeli archaeologist Yotam Tepper of Tel-Aviv University discovered the remains of a church, believed to be from the third century, a time when Christians were still persecuted by the Roman Empire. The remains were found at the Megiddo Prison, which is located a few hundred meters south of the Tel. Among the finds is an approx. 54-square-metre (580 sq ft) large mosaic with a Greek inscription stating that "The god-loving Akeptous has offered the table to God Jesus Christ as a memorial."[2][3][4] The mosaic is very well preserved and features geometrical figures and images of fish, an early Christian symbol. It is speculated that this may be the oldest remains of a church in the Holy Land.[5] The remains were found within the grounds of a military prison, and Israeli authorities are currently speculating about moving the prison.

An inscription in the Megiddo church mentions a Roman officer, "Gaianus," who donated "his own money" to have a mosaic made. The anthropologist Joe Zias, former curator for the Israeli Antiquities Authority, said "My gut feeling is that we are looking at a Roman building that may have been converted to a church at a later date."[6] On the other hand, persecution of Christians was sporadic in the Roman Empire during the early third century. The archaeological evidence may point to a later, date placing the church in the last quarter of the 3rd or first quarter of the 4th century.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ The Ancient Church at Megiddo: The Discovery and an Assessment of its Significance E Adams - The Expository Times, 2008 "... chronologically distinct. The structure at Megiddo is obviously not a basilica. According to Tepper, the Megiddo church is a unique ecclesiastical form. It could not have resembled the church buildings of the late third century. "
  2. ↑ Yotam Tepper, Leah Di Segni A Christian Prayer Hall of the Third Century CE at Kefar 'Othnay (Legio): Excavations at the Megiddo Prison 2005. Jerusalem: Israel Antiquities Authority, 2006 , Israel. Rashut ha-ʻatiḳot - 2006 "The Akeptous lnscription The inscription is set within a rectangle (67 x 80 cm) in the western side of the southern mosaic panel. Its frame and letters are traced in black tesserae; the characters are 7.5-9.0 cm high "
  3. ↑ First Churches of the Jesus Cult A Lawler - Archaeology, 2007 - olc.edu "... Others are more intrigued. "I'm open to Megiddo as a third-century site," says Taylor. "It's idiosyncratic," she adds, since it does not fit the model of Christian churches during and after the time of Constantine. Those structures are easily recognizable by their basilica shape with"
  4. ↑ Archaeology and the Historical Reliability of the New Testament P S Williams - bethinking.org "... Christian Prayer Hall near Megiddo, c. 230 AD John Dickson reports that: “Megiddo is the site of the earliest church building yet found. ... probably used for communion, states: “The God-loving Akeptous has offered the table to the God Jesus Christ”.
  5. ↑ Greek inscription in 'oldest church'
  6. ↑ Israeli Prisoners Dig Their Way to Early Christianity
  7. ↑ Vassilios Tzaferis, Oldest Church Found? Inscribed “To God Jesus Christ” Early Christian Prayer Hall Found in Megiddo Prison, Biblical Archaeology Review Magazine http://www.bib-arch.org/online-exclusives/oldest-church-02.asp
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