A planned site of a new prison ward was discovered to be a historic site while removing rubble. Yes, a church that dates back to the third century. An Israeli prisoner’s shovel uncovered the edge of an elaborate mosaic, which may be the Holy Land’s oldest church. The discovery of the church in the northern Israeli town of Megiddo, near the biblical Armageddon is an important discovery that could reveal details about the development of the early church in the region, experts hailed. Archaeologists said the church dated from the third century, decades before Constantine legalized Christianity across the Byzantine Empire. “A discovery of this kind will make Israel more interesting to all Christians, for the church all over the world,” said Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Vatican envoy to Jerusalem. “If it’s true that the church and the beautiful mosaics are from the third century, it would be one of the most ancient churches in the Middle East.”
Via: Newsday.com