“Israeli prisoner Ramil Razilo was removing rubble from the planned site of a new prison ward when his shovel uncovered the edge of an elaborate mosaic, unveiling what Israeli archaeologists said Sunday may be the Holy Land’s oldest church.” It may turn out to be the oldest discovered church in the world.
Crosses are not used in the artwork since at the time they had not yet come into common use as a Christian symbol. One of the mosaics tells the story of two people who donated the funds to build this church for “the God, Jesus Christ.”
You need to read the story here.
I am the Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship; husband to Jen; Dad to Katherine, Elias, Madeline, and Kilian. If you're in town you can probably find me in the local coffee house or running through the neighborhoods.
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What a terrific find!!
It figures that they found an ‘anthropologist’ to refute the early third century dating.
It’s so cool how history continues to support and substantiate the bible and Christianity!!!
Yeah Marc, I think it is very exciting. I look forward to reading more on this.
It is interesting in light of all the Da Vinci Code ramblings. Dan Brown and others have tried to say that the idea of the proclaimed divinity of Jesus was late and even invented by Constantine. Well, if the dating is correct than would shoot that theory down even though I know this will not be enough for the Jesus Seminar guys and others such as Dan Brown who are in the dark.
I look forward to hearing what the experts will be saying about this find. I’m particularly stoked about the reference to Jesus’ diety!
Marc,
Seems funny to me that he says “the evidence doesn’t support” churches before the 4th century, but he’s commenting on evidence that supports churches in the third.
“Don’t confuse me with the facts, my mind’s made up.”
ha ha ha……You’re right Marty! Just like some ‘nay-sayers’ used to say that Moses could have never written the Pentatuech because supposedly written languages weren’t around or created until well after the period of Israelite history. Then they ended up discovering the Ebla Kingdom that hugely predated the whole Moses period!!
Let God be true, and every man a liar!!
Josh Mcdowell used to debate with people and he’d say, “If I can show you irrefuteable proof that Christ walked the earth, existed in the flesh, and rose from the dead; even from non-biblical or non-Christian sources, will you believe it?” When someone would say, “No” he’d say, “Well, then we have nothing to talk about now don’t we?”
It’s always the heart, bro.
“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Romans 1:21 (ESV)
You know it’s amazing what kind of excuses you can come up with to deny the truth even when it is blatantly true and undeniable.
Reminds me of the passage in Revelation where it says that even though they know God is the one causing all of the calamity and that they just need to repent, they instead crawl into a cave and cry out for the mountains and rocks to fall on them and kill them.
How absurd and very very sad. Wouldn’t it just be easier to accept the truth?
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