• Source: Megiddo church (Israel)

Megiddo church, near Tel Megiddo, Israel, is an archaeological site which preserves the foundations of one of the oldest church buildings ever discovered by archaeologists, dating to the 3rd century AD. The ‘Megiddo Church’, as the room became known, was dated to circa 230 AD on the basis of pottery, coins, and the inscriptional style. The site’s abandonment, circa 305 AD, is evident in the purposeful covering of the mosaic, and relates well to the crisis of 303 AD, when the Christian communities of Judea experienced the Diocletianic Persecution.




Location


The remains were found near Megiddo Prison, which is located a few hundred meters south of the tell and adjacent to Megiddo Junction in northern Israel. The area belonged to the ancient Roman town of Legio, known previously by its Hebrew name, Kefar ‘Otnay.




Discovery and description



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. 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." The mosaic is very well preserved and features geometrical figures and images of fish, an early Christian symbol.
An inscription in the Megiddo church mentions a Roman officer, "Gaianus," who donated "his own money" to have a mosaic made.




Dating debate


The anthropologist Joe Zias, former curator for the Israel 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." 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.




See also


Legio, the Roman name of the town
Lajjun, the Arabic name of the later village
Oldest churches in the world




References

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Tel Megiddo
• Gereja Megiddo (Israel)
• Daftar bangunan gereja tertua
• Perang Dunia I
• Akhir zaman
• Megiddo church (Israel)
• Megiddo, Israel
• Megiddo
• Tel Megiddo
• Megiddo prison
• Armageddon
• Jezreel Valley
• Megiddo: The Omega Code 2
• Lajjun
• History of Israel