Is Cave World's Oldest Christian Church?

Archaeologists Believe Room Beneath Ancient Jordanian Church Was Site Of Early Worship

(AP)  Archaeologists in Jordan have discovered a cave underneath one of the world's oldest churches and say it may have been an even more ancient site of Christian worship. But outside experts expressed caution about the claim.

Archaeologist Abdel-Qader al-Housan, head of the Rihab Center for Archaeological Studies, said this week that the cave was unearthed in the northern Jordanian city of Rihab after three months of excavation and shows evidence of early Christian rituals.

The cave is under St. George's Church, which some believe was built in the year 230, though the date is widely disputed. That would make it one of the oldest churches in the world, along with one unearthed in the Jordanian southern port of Aqaba in 1998 and another in Israel discovered in 2005.

Al-Housan said there was evidence that the underground cave was used as a church by 70 disciples of Jesus in the first century after Christ's death, which would make it the oldest Christian site of worship in the world.

He described a circular worship area with stone seats separated from a living area that had a long tunnel leading to a source of water. He said the early Christians hid there from persecution.

A mosaic inscription on the floor of the later church of St. George above refers to "the 70 beloved by God and the divine" who founded the worship there.

S. Thomas Parker, a historian at North Carolina State University who led the team that discovered the church in Aqaba, said that while he hadn't seen the Rihab site, any such claim should be taken with a degree of caution.

"An extraordinary claim like this requires extraordinary evidence," he said. "We need to see the artifacts and dating evidence to suggest such an occupation in the 1st century A.D."

Parker asked how archeologists could be certain whether the "cave was actually a center of Christian worship."

The archaeologist also noted that mosaics are difficult to date unless there is a precise date in the text of the mosaic inscriptions themselves and typical mosaic inscriptions with Christian themes are from the 5th to 6th century.

"It's quite possible that there was a cave with earlier occupation which was later converted to Christian use. But to make the jump that this was actually used by Christians fleeing Jerusalem in the 1st century A.D. seems like a stretch to me," Parker said.

Australian archaeologist Kate da Costa of the University of Sydney, who works in northern Jordan where the cave was found, also said the evidence needs to be confirmed by other archaeologists.

"And even if the cave can be proved to have been in use in the first (century) A.D., there needs to be additional evidence that it was used by Christians," she told the AP.

She also said that St. George's church is not universally accepted as the oldest church in the world. Da Costa said a date of 230 for a constructed church "is over 200 years earlier than any other known church."

Archimandrite Nektarious, bishop deputy of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese in Amman, hailed the discovery, calling it an "important milestone for Christians all around the world and right here at home."

"It confirms that Christians in this region are not strangers," he said. "They are real citizens who have always had roots in this region from those days until the present."

[bobnjersey]

[Hell, anybody dumb enough to live in Jersey is an ignoramus.]
[Posted by FloydZeppl at 07:23 PM : Jun 11, 2008]

that''s intesting ... anybody who makes generalizations based on the state one lives in must be of superior intellect ... holder of all truth ... and beyond reproach.

it must be all those idiots living here that produce one of the highest levels of education and highest concentrations of millionaires in the country.

[checkthepast]

who armed Omar?

[midwife4]

I am fascinated by this story and would love to see photos of the artifacts, the stones that were in a circle and the artifacts the people of the cave left behind. I hope many more photos are published and posted on the internet so we can learn more.

[usa-12]

Hey Checkthepast,

My favorite clip within that link is # 19... It has been removed because of a copyright claim by a third party. I guess it is pretty obvious who that 3rd party is... In any case. I do hope you enjoy watching these 29-1= 28 episodes... They will tell you all that you wanted to know about the past... and you can check and validate each fact they state whether from encyclopedias, history books, or any simple research over the net.

[usa-12]

To checkthepast,

You posted "You are correct, religious affiliation does not claim title, but you''''re preaching to the choir...tell OBL and friends, they believe it does.

Posted by checkthepast at 09:04 PM : Jun 11, 2008"

Well actually OBL & Co. would not even exist if it weren''t for the U.S. that armed them and found them as a group to fight the Soviets back in the 80s... 2ndly and most importantly is that if what you are stating is true, wouldn''t you think they''d finish off the Christians and Jews who are still living there? There are still Jews & Christians in Afghanistan... and they are as oppressed as the Muslims are by the Talibans, no more no less... OBL & Co. are not fighting Christians and Jews in general, they are fighting FOREIGN Christians & Jews who are over there either as colonizers or as occupiers... And if you are really interested in knowing something about the past then you can check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=45ABD221BD27E9A2

This will connect the dots going back about 3000 years ago up to our present current situation... This documentary was banned in 2 countries that claim freedom of speech... watch and you will know which ones they are!!!

[dovestar]

To timothyone: If you want proof that Jesus is the God of the Bible, check out the fact that the Bible has been perhaps one of the most villified, sought-for-destruction books in history. Voltaire predicted that 100 years after his death, the Bible would be forgotten. Wrong. Within 50 years of Voltaire''s death, the Geneva Bible Society used HIS house and HIS press to produce stacks of Bibles. Who says God doesn''t have a sense of humor? And, timothyone, there''s a lot more proof where that one came from.

[dovestar]

You don''t have to be an archeologist to find the way to heaven. That''s easy cause there''s only one. Admit you can''t save yourself. You have offended a holy God and can''t pay the debt you owe Him. Next, believe that only one Person, Jesus, God''s Son, paid your debt on a cross two thousand years ago. Third, confess that you need Jesus and ask Him to save you. He is the only way. The Muslim car won''t start, the Jehova''s Witness car has 144,000 problems, and the Mormon car is in the shop. Sorry, guys, but there''s only One Way. His Name is Jesus. You can look it up.

[jankebenz]

You''''re all obsessed aren''''t you. Glad "ricky" was able to stick in your conscience that you bring him up on other forums.

He must''''ve done his job.

Posted by CBSisunfair at 11:00 PM : Jun 11, 2008

Yep, he must''ve, I know of at least 4 posters who tried to imitate his name "singinrick" .Christians agree with him, atheists and the like, dispise him

[rushlimpdrug]

Wait a minute.

Are they saying Batman
was a God?

Holy schmolees Batman!

They have found the cave!

Now what do we do?

[rushlimpdrug]

can I get half a tour for 10?
Posted by rebelscout at 09:04 PM

Oh yee of little faith go out and
get the other ten.
You can work, cheat or steal to get
it but you may not enter the cave
without paying full price.

Wait now.
WWJD?

Or what would Fred Flintstone do?

So many questions, so few caves.

[trishab4]

Did this cave exist before Christians came in and hid? So that must belong to the people who were livin'' there before them.... or maybe to the people who were living there before the later...! Or was it belonging to the monkeys who were hiding in the cave before them?

-RickMiess, what''s in your mind?

[checkthepast]

This is where I check out, obviously the intellectuals have checked in.
Good night and God bless all.

[martin9p2]

I left some chicken bones in my workshop, and the wife called one of those university-edumacated archologists. Said there were animal sacrifices by an extinct people. Found power tools as well -- said it was a killing ritual heretofore unknown in Western culture. ***, they is smart, ain''t they.

[trishab4]

So Jesus was a Palestinian/West-Banker! If he were alive, he''d kick azzzes, with Qassams and Katiushas! Wouldn''t he?

[checkthepast]

Hell''s free

[rebelscout]

Rush, can I get half a tour for 10?

[checkthepast]

USA-12, You are correct, religious affiliation does not claim title, but you''re preaching to the choir...tell OBL and friends, they believe it does.

[checkthepast]

timothy-checking the cave (or the past) can''t prove Gods existence to you or anyone. Only He can do that. We can only look for Him until He finds us. Maybe look in Timothy.....? God Bless

[rushlimpdrug]

Yes, that cave is where I started
a church sooo many years ago.

I will go there promptly and
reclaim my church and to
demonstrate my faith I will
begin giving tours of the
cave.
Contributions will be
accepted (a $20.00
donation or more is
suggested)

Thank you.

[timothyone-2009]

Proving that Christians worshiped in this cave would only prove that Christians worshiped in this cave. I want proof that Christ was God, that the God of the bible is the real God, and that God exists. Not that I don''t believe, I just don''t see the value of any other proofs if these basics proofs don''t yet sufficiently exist.