Featured Image Credit: Museum of the Bible
Topics: History, Religion, World News
Callum Jones
Archeologists have made the ‘the greatest discovery since the Dead Sea Scrolls’ that could very well change our understanding of history.
Experts are losing their minds over the earliest inscription declaring 'Jesus is God', as it goes against everything we've ever come to believe about Christianity.
The engraving is a whopping 1,800 years old, with Carlos Campo, CEO of the Museum of the Bible in Washington D.C, stating it's 'the greatest discovery since the Dead Sea Scrolls'.
The Jewish News Syndicate (JNS) reports Campo presented the mosaic at an opening reception back in September, which dates back to around the year 230.
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"Frankly, I’m still stepping back, because as I step back, I learn more about the power of this object and what it’s trying to say to me about ancient history, about the history of Christianity, about the place in Israel and so much more," he said.
"This object really is a way for us to come together—a way for us to see that these tiny little tesserae, these tiny little chips, these beautiful pieces when placed together—they tell a remarkable story of unity," he added to those in attendance.
"We truly are among the first people to ever see this, to experience what almost 2,000 years ago was put together by a man named Brutius, the incredible craftsman who laid the flooring here."
The artifact was originally found below a floor of the Meggido Prison in Israel back in 2005, with the Israel Antiquities Authority subsequently excavating the piece into smaller parts.
The Daily Mail reports the following Greek words are inscribed on the mosaic: "The god-loving Akeptous has offered the table to God Jesus Christ as a memorial.
Gil Lin, the head of the Megiddo Regional Council, described this as the 'first physical proclamation of Jesus Christ as God'.
Alegre Savariego, who was working on the exhibition had a similar point of view, saying: "The mosaic presents groundbreaking physical evidence of the practices and beliefs of early Christians, including the first archaeological instance of the phrase, ‘God Jesus Christ'."
JNS reports the artifact stated this well before Christianity became part of the Roman empire.
Director of the Scholars Initiative at the Museum of the Bible, Bobby Duke, said: "This is arguably one of the most important archaeological discoveries for understanding the early Christian church.
"Truly, the mosaic presents a wealth of new data for church historians."
Experts say their findings suggest the Romans coexisted with Christians, despite history telling us the two factions spent much of their time at war with each other.