An ancient mosaic that was found near what many believe to be the future site of the battle of Armageddon in the nation of Israel contains a reference to the deity of Jesus Christ, which is providing researches with new insights into what early Christian worship looked like during the point in history when the Roman Empire was persecuting Jesus’ followers.
What’s really great about a discovery like this is that it shows believers in the early part of Christian history really did believe Jesus was divine and not just a “good teacher” or a “lunatic” as many throughout the ages have accused the Lord of being. Anything to avoid facing the reality that there’s a God who created all things and He has made laws that we have failed to keep and as a result need a Savior to redeem us or it’s eternal punishment.
via Christian Post:
The Megiddo Mosaic, which decorated one of the oldest Christian prayer halls, is now on display at the Museum of the Bible as part of an exhibition that runs through July 2025. The mosaic bears images of a fish, a symbol of early Christianity, and a Greek inscription that reads “To God Jesus Christ.” Israeli archeologists discovered the mosaic in 2005 during a salvage excavation conducted as part of the planned expansion of the Megiddo Prison. The showing at the Museum of the Bible is the first public presentation of the mosaic, as due to its location on prison grounds, the mosaic was not accessible to the public.
In addition to the inscription recognizing Jesus as God, the Megiddo Mosaic memorializes the names of five women, perhaps highlighting the role women played in early Christian communities. The mosaic also features the name of the Roman officer who paid for it to be made. During a reception celebrating the exhibit’s Sunday opening, Museum of the Bible CEO Carlos Campo said the staff believes the mosaic conveys the “transformative power of the Bible.” He urged people attending the exhibit’s opening to “take a step back” and see the mosaic.
“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 there at Megiddo in Israel, and so much more,” Campo went on to say about the discovery.
“And so, that’s what we’ve come together today to celebrate, that 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,” the Museum of the Bible CEO added. “A remarkable story of a place that brought people in from many different areas, and yet they shared enough in common to understand that they were people who could celebrate, worship, and come together in peace. And it’s what we come together to celebrate today.”
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Campo, who sat down for an interview with The Christian Post, revealed that the museum has partnered up with the Israel Antiquities Authority to help transport the mosaic to the United States. In order to move the piece, parts of it have to be separated without damaging any of the composition. I can’t imagine how nerve-wracking such a job has to be, knowing you hold in your hands an amazing, important part of Christian history and one wrong move could totally ruin it.
Experts put the pieces of the mosaic together within a few weeks of its arrival. According to Campo, anywhere from 50 to 75 staff worked on piecing the mosaic together; however, he acknowledged that there are countless others who worked on the project in an ancillary fashion.
Campo explained that the reason the Museum of the Bible created an exhibit for the mosaic is because it is one of the oldest artifacts that makes a reference to Jesus’ divinity. He then explained that the work of art appears to state that there were many converts to the religion after the death of Jesus. He pointed to the names of the five women and Roman soldier mentioned on the mosaic.
“Some people would posit that, well, after Jesus died, there was this dark phase where almost no one was following Christ,” he remarked in conclusion. “Well, this mosaic says that that’s not true, that there were people even under persecution, which they certainly had, who were faithful followers of Jesus Christ.”