Earliest Christian artifact north of Alps from Germany researched

[guy]

 

 

Researchers discovered 127 different human remains in a Roman burial ground in Frankfurt, Germany, but one body stood out. This individual was a man aged between 35 and 45 who was found with a Christian amulet (see photo above). The burial site is dated between AD 230 and 270, nearly fifty years earlier than the previously known Christian artifacts from the region. This discovery may represent the earliest archaeological evidence of Christianity north of the Alps.

 

 

The amulet, originally found in 2018, was recently "digitally unwrapped" using a computed tomography scan and translated. It showed a Christian inscription written in Latin:

 

 

Quote

The text opens with a reference to St. Titus, a disciple of the Apostle Paul, and includes invocations such as “Holy, holy, holy!” and “In the name of Jesus Christ, Son of God.” It also incorporates elements of Christian liturgy, including a near-verbatim quotation from Paul’s letter to the Philippians (Phil. 2:10-11). Prof. Dr. Markus Scholz of Goethe University, Frankfurt, who led the deciphering process, remarked the text’s sophistication suggests it was crafted by an elaborate scribe, and its purely Christian content is extraordinary for this period, where religious syncretism was more common.

 

 

https://archaeologymag.com/2024/12/oldest-evidence-of-christianity-north-of-the-alps/#:~:text=The artifact%2C a silver amulet,region by nearly 50 years

Edited Monday at 09:51 PM by guy

[guy]

 

[Crispina]

So interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[guy]

Here is the original article on the find. (The English translation can be found in upper right corner.)

 

https://frankfurt.de/aktuelle-meldung/meldungen/frankfurter-silberinschrift/

 

Quote

It is unusual that there is no reference in the inscription to any other faith besides Christianity. Normally, up until the 5th century, a mixture of different faiths can always be expected in precious metal amulets of this type. Often elements from Judaism or pagan influences can still be found. However, neither Yahweh, the almighty God of Judaism, nor the archangels Raphael, Gabriel, Michael or Suriel are mentioned in this amulet, nor are the forefathers of Israel such as Isaac or Jacob. And no pagan elements such as demons either. The amulet is purely Christian.

 

Quote

The evaluation of the significance of the find by experts for early Christianity and theologians is only just beginning. Some of the formulations contained in the text were not attested until many decades later. For example, at the beginning of the "Frankfurt Silver Inscription" there is a reference to St. Titus, a disciple and confidant of the Apostle Paul. Just like the invocation "Holy, holy, holy!", which was not actually known in the Christian liturgy until the 4th century AD. (Trishagion). At the end, the text also contains an almost literal quotation from Paul's so-called Christ hymn from his letter to the Philippians (here: Phil. 2, 10-11).

 

Edited Wednesday at 04:03 PM by guy