AN ANCIENT mosaic with the inscription “God Jesus Christ” is being dubbed the greatest find since the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The massive discovery “confirms” Jesus’ divinity about a hundred years before the Council of Nicea – fundamentally changing our knowledge of early Christianity.
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It has been nicknamed the “Megiddo Mosaic” after being discovered in Megiddo, Northern Israel.
The prized piece has been lent to The Museum of the Bible in Washington DC.
Carlos Campo, CEO of the museum, hailed the mosaic as “the greatest discovery since the Dead Sea Scrolls.”
He said: “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.”
This breakthrough shows that Christians believed Jesus to be the son of God from the very beginning.
This is so significant because it is the first archaeological instance of the phrase “God Jesus Christ”, long before he was thought to have been recognised as such.
The Council of Nicea was a meeting of Christian Bishops.
The group was the first in the history of the Christian Church to address the entire body of believers.
One of its biggest accomplishments was establishing Jesus’ relationship to God as his son and his divine status.
This mosaic pre-dates this event, re-contextualising one of the most pivotal moments in the Christian story.
The find tells us first that it was accepted Jesus was God’s son before the Council of Nicea decided this.
What are the Dead Sea Scrolls?
THE Dead Sea Scrolls are a set of ancient Jewish manuscripts from the Second Temple Period (516 BCE – 70 CE).
Dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 1st century CE, the Dead Sea Scrolls include the oldest surviving manuscripts of entire books later included in the biblical canons.
They also cast light on the emergence of Christianity and of Rabbinic Judaism.
There are 1,500 scrolls or scroll fragments known to us, and they are regarded as deeply significant for charting the early history of Judaism.
They got their name for being mostly discovered in the Dead Sea, hence the name Dead Sea Scrolls.
Most of the manuscripts are written in Hebrew.
They represent the remnants of larger manuscripts damaged by natural causes or through human interference.
They were discovered between 1946 and 1956, and are currently the property of the Israeli government, which has caused much controversy.
The 16ft by 32ft mosaic was uncovered beneath the floor of an Israeli prison, and dates back 1,800 years.
The tablet bears the text: “The god-loving Akeptous has offered the table to God Jesus Christ as a memorial.”
Alegre Savariego, curator of the exhibition, said: “The mosaic presents groundbreaking physical evidence of the practices and beliefs of early Christians.”
FURTHER REVALATIONS
The revelations surrounding Jesus and his early perception was not the only major discovery to be found as a result of the mosaic.
Possible Christian links to the Romans were also unearthed, despite numerous stories of war and bloodshed at the time.
The mosaic included the name of the Roman officer who commissioned the tile during the Roman occupation of Judea.
An inscription on the mosaic read: ‘Gaianus, a Roman officer, having sought honor, from his own money, has made the mosaic.’
Researchers suggested that could prove Romans coexisted with Christians to some degree.
A nearby Roman camp was also found, providing more support of the peace between the two groups.
The mosaic also contained the names of five women, highlighting the important role they played in the church.
Separate to the Jesus inscription, the mosaic can also be seen to read: “Remember Primilla and Cyriaca and Dorothea, and lastly, Chreste.”
It is not know why these specific names were mentioned on the tablet, but it should be considered very unusual because God wasn’t normally asked to remember individuals.
Crucially, the reference to Akeptous, who is said to have donated the table in the inscription, could suggest that she was a woman of high standing.
Suggestions like these dramatically change how we have thus far viewed the limited role of women during the period.
The museum description elaborates: “Here, the community itself is called to remember these women.
“Nothing else is known of the women mentioned here.
“While they were clearly important to the community, the inscription does not tell us whether they were patrons of the community (like Akeptous), or martyrs, or honored for some other reason.”
The game-changing discovery was found laid over a 581ft floor of a Christian worship hall.
The stone was found by Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) between 2003 and 2005.
It was cleaned and conserved before being transported to the museum for public view.
The artefact is available to view in the museum until July 2025.
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