december 19, 2005
Ancient Seal with Image of Jesus Found in Israel
In another discovery of historical importance, archaeologists in the Tiberius region of Israel have uncovered a coin dating from the sixth century A.D. and bearing the image and name of Christ.
According to David Hacohen of YnetNews.com, two embassy volunteers from America and Britain found the lead seal from sixth century in Tiberius depicting Jesus on one side. The seal depicting Jesus was discovered in excavations by the Antiquities Authority in the Old City of Tiberias.
The other side of the seal has a cross with an abbreviation of the name “Christos.”
According to the report in Ynet News, this is the first time a seal with the
image of Jesus has been discovered in excavations in Tiberius, the only site in
Israel where such coins have been found. A number of similar seals have been
found in Caesarea, the ancient capital of the province.
According to Professor Yizhar Hirschfeld of the Hebrew University, who is in charge of the
dig, "The church here
was stronger than we thought. This also shows that Judaism and Christianity met
here and lived together in harmony."
Reporter David Hacohen notes that in February of this year, a tenth century
A.D. coin was discovered in the excavations in Tiberius that depicted Jesus on
one side, and had the Greek inscription "Jesus the Messiah, King of Kings" on
the other.
This coincides with the recent discovery reported in this Blog of the ruins of what could be the oldest Christian church in the Middle East, and possibly the entire world, in the Megiddo prison area. An online article 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.
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."
ChurchWatch: Ruins of 'Oldest Church' Uncovered Beneath Israeli Prison
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