Kristen mosaikk frå 200-talet

Israel Antiquities Authority har nå stadfesta at funnet eg tidlegare har omtalt her på bloggen (Fangar fann gamal kyrkje), verkeleg er eit mosaikkgolv med kristen symbolikk frå 200-talet. Dette er eit oppsiktsvekkjande funn. Det er frå tida før kristendommen var akseptert religion og det blei vanleg å byggja kyrkjer.

Forskarane fortel at det dei har funne, er den jødiske landsbyen Kfar Othnai, som tidlegare har vore kjent frå skriftlege kjelder. Staden ligg nær Megiddo.  Dei skriv vidare: "The building has a rectangular hall with a mosaic floor bearing geometric patterns, a medallion decorated with drawings of fish, and three Greek inscriptions. One inscription mentions an army officer who contributed toward the paving of the floor. The second inscription is dedicated to the memory of four women, and the third inscription mentions a woman who contributed a table (altar) to the God Jesus Christ. All the inscriptions are related to Christian community ritual activities that took place in the building.

The incorporation of the three inscriptions in the third century CE mosaic floor, that link a Roman army officer to Christianity in a building that dates prior to the recognition of Christianity as an official religion, is rare and unique and very important toward the understanding of early Christianity."

Vidare anbefaler dei å flytta det israelske fengselet som nå ligg på staden, for å gjera funnet tilgjengeleg for utstilling:

"The Antiquities Authority recommends moving the prison and places utmost importance on preservation of the archeological assemblage uncovered in the excavations. This preference stems from the magnitude of these finds and their significance for culture and heritage not only of Israel, but for the whole world, and will enable the preservation and display of the site and the mosaic floor, in their original context, integrated with their environs."
Les heile uttalen frå Israel Antiquities Authority her.

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