An ancient Greek inscription of ‘Christ, born of Mary’, used to guard an evil eye, is found above the door of a once magnificent church built in Israel 1,500 years ago
- 1,500 writings saying ‘Christ, born of Mary’ were found in Israel
- The phrase, written in ancient Greek, was used to ward off the evil eye
- It was a curse from Greek and Roman cultures that brought misfortune
- The inscription was once placed above the door of a Christian church
- The church had mosaic slabs with a geometric design
A 1,500-year-old record that reads ‘Christ, born of Mary’ in ancient Greek that once sat above a door to ward off evil spirits has been found in northern Israel.
The phrase was used by Christians to defend themselves against the ‘evil eye,’ which was an ancient curse from Greek and Roman cultures that would bring misfortune to individuals.
The inscription was discovered when a once elegant church was excavated with a mosaic slab with intricate geometric design and built in Byzantine or early Islamic times.
The building was found at a rescue excavation ahead of a new road construction project in the area – Israel is urging archaeologists and volunteers to survey an area before construction can begin.
Scroll down for video
A 1,500-year-old record of ‘Christ, born of Mary’ in ancient Greek has been found in northern Israel that once sat above the door to ward off evil spirits.
Christianity became a prominent religion in Israel in Byzantine times after the occupation of the country by the Roman Empire.
As a result of this siege a number of Christian churches and monasteries were built throughout the Hebrew nation.
The latest find was made in the town of et-Taiyiba on the northeast side of the Jezreel Valley between the cities of present-day Afula and Beit Shean.
Dr Walid Atrash of the Antiquarian Authority of Israel said: ‘This is the first evidence that the Byzantine church is located in the town of et-Taiyiba and contributes to other finds which raise evidence of the activity of Christians who were stay in the area. ‘
The inscription was discovered during the excavation of a once magnificent mosaic church with intricate geometric designs and built in Byzantine or early Islamic times.
The stone is believed to have been inscribed as a ‘recycled’ material that was moved from one place to the now-fallen church.
Yardenna Alexandre, an archaeologist at the Antiquarian Authority of Israel, told the Media Line: ‘This is a unique find because the inscription allows us to recognize that it came from a church and not a monastery from that time. ‘
Churches welcomed and blessed believers at their entrance, but there were no monasteries, so it is clear that the writing is from a church.
The building was found at a rescue excavation before a new road construction project was built in the area – Israel is urging archaeologists and volunteers to survey an area before construction can begin
‘This is a village church, rather than a monastery church, which was not generally open to the public at that time,’ said Alexandre.
She explained that the magnificent mosaic floors also feature symbols that Christians used when decorating, such as crosses and geometric shapes.
According to excavation leaders Tzachi Lang and Kojan Haku of the Israeli Antiquities Authority, the excavation found results from different periods, shedding light on the long settlement range at et-Taiyiba in the valley, and on its status among the cities. local. ”