Megiddo church is an archaeological site near Tel Megiddo, Israel that preserves the foundations of one of the oldest Christian church buildings ever discovered by archaeologists. The ruins contain one of the oldest inscriptions referring to the divinity of Jesus.
Location
The remains were found near Megiddo Prison, located a few hundred meters south of the tell and adjacent to Megiddo Junction in northern Israel. The area belonged to the ancient Roman town of Legio, known previously by its Hebrew name, Kefar 'Otnay.
Discovery and Description
In 2005, Israeli archaeologist Yotam Tepper of Tel-Aviv University discovered the remains of a church, believed to date from the third century CE, a period when Christians were still persecuted by the Roman Empire. Among the finds is an approximately 54-square-meter (580 sq ft) mosaic floor that is very well preserved. The mosaic features geometrical figures and images of fish, an early Christian symbol, and notably contains a Greek inscription with a reference to "God, Jesus Christ."
The Greek inscription reads: "Προσήνικεν Ἁκεπτοῦς ἡ φιλόθεος τὴν τράπεζαν Θεῷ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ μνημόυνον," which translates to: "The God-loving Akeptous has offered the table to God Jesus Christ as a memorial." Another inscription mentions a Roman officer named Gaianus who donated "his own money" to have a mosaic made.
Dating
The church was dated to circa 230 CE on the basis of pottery, coins, and inscriptional style. The site's abandonment, circa 305 CE, is evident in the purposeful covering of the mosaic, which may correlate to the Diocletianic Persecution (303 CE), when Christian communities in Judea experienced persecution under Roman emperor Diocletian. However, some scholars suggest a later date, placing the church in the last quarter of the 3rd or first quarter of the 4th century. Anthropologist Joe Zias, former curator for the Israel Antiquities Authority, has suggested the building may have originally been a Roman structure later converted into a church.
Architecture
The structure is described as a house church and is not a basilica. According to Tepper, the Megiddo church represents a unique ecclesiastical form that does not resemble the church buildings of the late third century.
Exhibition
In September 2024, the Washington D.C.-based Museum of the Bible, in partnership with the Israel Antiquities Authority, opened a special exhibition titled "The Megiddo Mosaic: Foundations of Faith," featuring the third-century mosaic floor.
In Culture
In March 2024, Angel Studios released the documentary film The Mosaic Church, which describes the history of the Megiddo church.
