Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com - While excavating at et-Taiyiba, Jezreel Valley in Israel archaeologists discovered a building that has an inscription ‘Christ, Born Of Mary’ engraved at the entrance.
Whether the building was once a church or monastery is unknown, but the 1,500-year-old Greek inscription was intended to greet believers who entered the place.
The building’s “doorway dates back to the late fifth century BC. The stone with the inscription was repurposed in the walls of a magnificent building from the Byzantine or Early Islamic period that is now being excavated by the Israel Anqituities Authority (IAA).
The magnificent building with the inscription incorporated in secondary use. Credit: Tzachi Lang/Israel Antiquities Authority
Archaeologists have unearthed two rooms to the building, both with mosaic flooring featuring a geometric design,” Christian Today reports.
“Christ born of Mary. This work of the most God-fearing and pious bishop [Theodo]sius and the miserable Th[omas] was built from the foundation. Whoever enters should pray for them,” reads the full inscription, according to Dr. Leah Di Segni, researcher at the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
“The inscription greets those who enter and blesses them. It is therefore clear that the building is a church, and not a monastery – churches greeted believers at their entrance, while monasteries tended not to do this,” Di Segni commented in a press release.
According to Jerusalem Post, “Theodosius was the regional archbishop of the metropolis of Beit She’an to which Taiba belonged in the 5th century CE. His name appeared in documents related to archbishops’ meetings, Alexandre explained.
The words “Christ born of Mary” were widely used at the beginning of documents or other forms of text, serving as a blessing and protection from evil.
The inscription, “Christ born of Mary" uncovered in the excavation at et-Taiyiba in the Jezreel Valley. Credit: Tzachi Lang/Israel Antiquities Authority
“As a blessing, the inscription must have originally stood at the entrance of the church, where people could see it. However, it was now found incorporated in the walls, therefore we know that the stone was reused as construction material. Likely the building collapsed and was rebuilt,” Alexandre pointed out.”
The region of the Jezreel Valley bears many testimonies of ancient Christian life.
“This is the first evidence of the Byzantine church’s existence in the village of Taiba and it adds to other finds attesting to the activities of Christians who lived in the region,” said IAA archaeologist Dr. Walid Atrash.
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Among others, remains of a church from the Crusader period and of an ancient monastery were uncovered in the area.
Taiba itself was a Christian village in the Byzantine period (5th to 7th centuries) and later became the site of a Crusader fortress.
“The modern Arab village grew around it, and some remains are still visible,” Alexandre concluded.
Written by Jan Bartek - AncientPages.com Staff Writer
