Rare mosaic revealing earliest 'physical evidence' of Christianity now on display at Museum of the Bible

The Museum of the Bible in the nation’s capital has opened a new exhibit in partnership with the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), giving visitors a deeper understanding of the spread of early Christianity in the Holy Land.

Titled "The Megiddo Mosaic: Foundations of Faith," the exhibit showcases IAA’s archaeological find, dating back to the third century, on display for the first time since it was found.

The mosaic formed part of the floor of the oldest site of Christian worship ever to be discovered, according to officials with the Museum of the Bible (MOTB).

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The Megiddo Mosaic was unearthed 20 years ago during a pre-construction archaeological dig in the Megiddo prison in Israel while planning for a new wing in the prison was underway, says the MOTB's press release. 

"The mosaic presents groundbreaking physical evidence of the practices and beliefs of early Christians, including the first archaeological instance of the phrase, ‘God Jesus Christ,’" Alegre Savariego, curator of the exhibition on behalf of the IAA, said in the release. 

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Footage shows an animation of what the ancient site would have looked like with the mosaics pieced together, the mosaic's inscriptions and a rendering of the building in which the mosaics would have been in the 3rd century. (See the video at the top of this article.)

The tiles illustrate one of the earliest examples of a fish being used as a Christian symbol and the names of several of the church’s patrons.

Bobby Duke, MOTB interim chief curator and scholars initiative director, said the mosaic is one of the most important archaeological discoveries for understanding the early Christian church.

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"The mosaic underscores the crucial role of women in the early church by the fact that 5 women are mentioned in it by name. Truly, the mosaic presents a wealth of new data for church historians, like the Dead Sea Scrolls did for Bible scholars," Duke said, according to the release.

The exhibit opened to the public on Sept. 15 and will be on display for nine months and travel to additional venues before returning to Israel for a permanent exhibition at the exact site where it was discovered.

Learn more at museumofthebible.org.