1,700-year-old recently discovered Christian letter offers clues into how faithful lived centuries ago
By Caleb Parke
Published July 16, 2019
Researchers unveiled a rare 1,700-year-old letter that they said sheds new light into how early Christians lived.
The letter, which is at least 40 to 50 years older than all other known Christian documentary letters outside the Bible, is written by a man named "Arrianus" and addressed to his brother, "Paulus," likely named after the Apostle Paul who recorded much of the New Testament.
It dates back to the 230s A.D.
In the missive Arrianus discusses the topics of faith, local politics and food under the Roman Empire.
"The earliest Christians in the Roman Empire are usually portrayed as eccentrics who withdrew from the world and were threatened by persecution. This is countered by the contents of the Basel papyrus letter," said Sabine Huebner, professor of ancient history at the University of Basel in Switzerland, where the letter is kept.
"The letter contains indications that in the early third century, Christians were living outside the cities in the Egyptian hinterland, where they held political leadership positions and did not differ from their pagan environment in their everyday lives."
The world`s oldest autograph by a Christian. (University of Basel)
The document stands out from other preserved letters of Greco-Roman Egypt because of the author's abbreviated use of the concluding phrase: "I pray that you fare well 'in the Lord.'"
“The use of this abbreviation – known as a nomen sacrum in this context – leaves no doubt about the Christian beliefs of the letter writer,” Huebner said. “It is an exclusively Christian formula that we are familiar with from New Testament manuscripts."
She noted the name Paulus is revealing and "was an extremely rare name at that time," indicating that the "parents mentioned in the letter were Christians" and "named their son after the apostle as early as 200 AD."
Arrianus and his brother Paulus were educated sons of the local elite, landowners and public officials.
The translated English transcript of the Basel papyrus letter. (University of Basel)
The rare document, known as P.Bas 2.43, originated in the village of Theadelphia in central Egypt and belongs to the Heronius archive, the largest papyrus archive from Roman times. It has been in the care of the Swiss university for the last 100 years.
Huebner is publishing a monograph, "Papyri and the Social World of the New Testament," that includes a copy of the letter along with others illustrating the social, political and economic life of the early Christians.
The full transcript of the letter:
“Greetings, my lord, my incomparable brother Paulus. I, Arrianus, salute you, praying that all is as well as possible in your life.
“[Since] Menibios was going to you, I thought it necessary to salute you as well as our lord father. Now, I remind you about the gymnasiarchy, so that we are not troubled here. For Heracleides would be unable to take care of it: he has been named to the city council. Find thus an opportunity that you buy the two [–] arouras.
“But send me the fish liver sauce too, whichever you think is good. Our lady mother is well and salutes you as well as your wives and sweetest children and our brothers and all our people. Salute our brothers [-]genes and Xydes. All our people salute you.
“I pray that you fare well in the Lord.”
Biblical city with links to King David discovered in southern Israel
By James Rogers
Published July 09, 2019
Archaeologists in southern Israel have discovered an ancient biblical city from the time of King David.
The site was discovered near the modern city of Kiryat Gat by researchers from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Macquarie University in Australia and the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The Philistine ancient city of Ziklag is mentioned multiple times in the Bible in relation to David, the researchers note, citing 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel. “According to the Biblical narrative, Achish, King of Gat, allowed David to find refuge in Ziklag while fleeing King Saul and from there David also departed to be anointed King in Hebron,” they explain in a statement.
Some 12 other sites in Israel have been considered as the possible location of Ziklag, although experts note that none of the sites has a continuous Philistine settlement and a settlement from the time of King David. The site near Kiryat Gat, however, meets both criteria.
Part of the excavation site. (Israel Antiquities Authority/The Hebrew University in Jerusalem)
Excavations at the site began in 2015. “Evidence of a settlement from the Philistine era has been found there, from the 12-11th centuries BC,” explain the researchers. “Spacious, massive stone structures have been uncovered containing finds typical of the Philistine civilization.”
Other discoveries include bowls and an oil lamp, which were offerings laid beneath the building’s floors for good luck. Stone and metal tools were also found at the site.
“Above the remains of the Philistine settlement was a rural settlement from the time of King David, from the early 10th century BC,” the researchers added. “This settlement came to an end in an intense fire that destroyed the buildings.”
1 Samuel 30 describes how the Amalekites, ancient desert nomads, burnt Ziklag.
Pottery jars uncovered at the site. (Israel Antiquities Authority/The Hebrew University in Jerusalem)
The archaeologists found nearly 100 complete pottery vessels in the ancient city. These are almost identical to pottery vessels found in the fortified Judaean city of Khirbet Qeiyafa, which have been carbon-dated to the time of King David.
“The great range of complete vessels is testimony to the interesting everyday life during the reign of King David,” the researchers said in the statement. “Large quantities of storage jars were found during the excavation- medium and large-which were used for storing oil and wine.”
Jugs and bowls decorated in a style typical of King David’s time were also uncovered.
Aerial stills of the excavation site. (Emil Aljem, Israel Antiquities Authority)
In another project, archaeologists in Israel’s Golan Heights recently discovered an ancient city gate from the time of King David.
Last year, researchers uncovered an ancient site at Tel ‘Eton in the Judean foothills that may offer fresh insight into the biblical kingdom of David and Solomon. The kingdom is described in the Hebrew Bible but has long divided historians.
While some experts believe that it existed in the 10th century B.C., others have questioned its existence, citing a lack of evidence of royal construction at the center of the region where the kingdom is said to have existed.
File image - King David bearing the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, Early16th cen.. From a private collection. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)
David and Saul, 1878. Found in the collection of Nationalmuseum Stockholm. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)
However, part of the building at Tel ‘Eton has been dated to a period in history that coincided with the supposed joint kingdom, according to a study published in the journal Radiocarbon.
Church of the Apostles discovered near Sea of Galilee, archaeologists say
By James Rogers
Published July 30, 2019
The Church of the Apostles, which is said to have been built over the house of Jesus’ disciples Peter and Andrew, has been discovered near Israel’s Sea of Galilee, according to a team of American and Israeli archaeologists.
Experts from the Kinneret Institute for Galilean Archaeology at Kinneret College, Israel and Nyack College in New York, have been excavating the site of el-Araj on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The archaeologists believe that el-Araj is the site of the ancient Jewish fishing village of Bethsaida, which later became the Roman city of Julias.
Prof. Steven Notley of Nyack College told Fox News that the group’s previous annual excavations at the site had uncovered evidence of the church’s existence, such as pieces of marble from its chancel screen and small gilded glass blocks called tesserae that were used in ornate church wall mosaics. “These discoveries already informed us that the church was waiting to be found somewhere nearby,” he explained, via email.
Following the clues, the archaeologists discovered the church’s mosaic floors. “It is always remarkable to bring these beautifully decorated floors to light after being buried for almost 1500 years,” Notley explained.
Archaeologists uncovered the mosaic floor of the Byzantine church at el-Araj. (Zachary Wong)
The Byzantine church had been mentioned by early Christian pilgrims, notably the Bavarian bishop (and saint) Willibald in 725 A.D. “[Willibald] states that the church was in Bethsaida built over the house of Peter and Andrew, among the first disciples of Jesus,” Notley told Fox News.
The professor added that the church’s discovery is significant for at least two reasons. “First, until its recent discovery, many scholars questioned its existence. Although it is mentioned in Byzantine pilgrimage itineraries, many thought these reports mistaken,” he explained. “Of equal importance, the church indicates that there existed a living memory in the Christian community about the location of Bethsaida, home of Peter, Andrew and Philip (John 1:44).”
The Roman city of Julias was born out of the Jewish fishing village of Bethsaida during the first century A.D, according to the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius. The New Testament describes Bethsaida as the home of Jesus’ apostles Peter, Andrew and Philip. Jesus also healed a blind man at Bethsaida, according to Mark 8:22-26, while Luke 9:10-17 describes a nearby location for the feeding of the five thousand people.
Aerial view of the excavation site at el-Araj. (Zachary Wong)
While the site appears to have been unoccupied for about two centuries during the 4th and 5th centuries A.D., the local Christian community still remembered where the New Testament village had been located, according to Notley. “The discovery of the church strengthens our position that el-Araj should be considered the leading candidate for New Testament Bethsaida-Julias,” he added.
A Roman bathhouse discovered at el-Araj in 2017 provided an important glimpse into the area's ancient urbanization and Motti Aviam of Kinneret College selected a site over 100 yards from the main excavation site for a subsequent dig. The excavation found Roman-era houses and pottery, indicating the existence of a small city.
Experts from the Kinneret Institute for Galilean Archaeology at Kinneret College, Israel and Nyack College in New York, excavating the site of el-Araj on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. (Zachary Wong)
Experts are confident that the next excavation season at el-Araj will reveal more of the ancient site’s secrets and plan to entirely excavate the Byzantine church. “Thus far, we have only uncovered some of the southern rooms of the church, likely the southern aisle,” Notley said. “At the end of this season, we were just beginning to uncover the mosaics of what is likely the nave, the center section of the church.”
The archaeologists believe that el-Araj is the site of the ancient Jewish fishing village of Bethsaida, which later became the Roman city of Julias.
Electromagnetic imaging also suggests that there are more buildings and structures to be excavated at el-Araj. “At the end of next season we expect to be able to publish a preliminary report on our first five seasons and definitely answer the question of the location of New Testament Bethsaida-Julias,” Notley explained.
Remains of one the world's oldest known mosques discovered in Israel’s Negev desert
By James Rogers
Published July 22, 2019
The remains of a 1,200-year-old mosque have been discovered in Israel’s Negev desert. The ancient structure is one of the earliest known mosques in the world, according to experts.
The building was found by the Israel Antiquities Authority, which says that the discovery is an extremely unusual one.
“A small rural mosque, dated to the 7th to 8th centuries... is a rare finding anywhere in the world, especially in the area north of [the Israeli Negev desert city of] Be'er Sheva, where no similar building has previously been discovered,” said Dr. Jon Seligman and Shahar Zur, who directed the excavation, in a statement. “From this period there are large known mosques in Jerusalem and in Mecca, but here we have evidence of an ancient house of prayer, which seems to have served the farmers who lived in the area.”
Archaeologists note that the open-air mosque features a “Mihrab,” or prayer niche, that faces south, towards Mecca. “These features are evidence for the purpose for which this building was used, many hundred years ago,” said Seligman and Zur, in the statement.
The mosque was discovered during preparations for the construction of a new neighborhood in the town of Rahat. “This is one of the earliest mosques known from the beginning of the arrival of Islam in Israel, after the Arab conquest” of 636 A.D., Prof. Gideon Avni said in a statement. “The discovery of the village and the mosque in its vicinity are a significant contribution to the study of the history of the country during this turbulent period.”
Aerial shot of the mosque. (Emil Aladjem, Israel Antiquities Authority)
Other remains discovered in the area include a farm that dates back to the Byzantine period in the 6th to 7th century A.D. A small settlement from the start of the Islamic period in the 7th to 8th century A.D. was also found.
Local Bedouin residents and youth from nearby towns and villages participated in the excavation project.
Israel continues to reveal new details of its rich history. Archaeologists, for example, recently discovered a huge Neolithic settlement near Jerusalem, which they say is one of the largest ever found.
The ancient mosque is one of the earliest discovered. (Anat Rasiuk/Israel Antiquities Authority)
In a separate project, archaeologists in Southern Israel have discovered an ancient biblical city from the time of King David.
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