3rd‑century amulet rewrites early Christian history in Europe
Archaeologists have made a groundbreaking discovery of a 3rd-century amulet, which may serve as the oldest evidence of Christianity north of the Alps. During an archaeological dig, this find was uncovered in the town of Nidda, near Frankfurt am Main.
In 2018, archaeologists made an extraordinary discovery in the town of Nidda, near Frankfurt am Main. A 3rd-century male skeleton was found with an amulet, which may be one of the oldest pieces of evidence of Christianity north of the Alps.
According to "Onet," the amulet is made of bronze and covered with a thin layer of silver foil, featuring an inscription in Latin consisting of 18 lines of text.
A team of scientists from Goethe University in Frankfurt, led by Markus Scholz, created a three-dimensional model of the amulet, allowing them to read the inscription accurately without damaging its structure.
Will the amulet change the history of Christianity?
The analysis of the inscription's content revealed that it contains many references to Christianity, including the names of St. Titus, Jesus, and God. Additionally, the phrase "bend the knee before God" may be a reference to the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians.
This discovery is particularly significant because it suggests that Christianity could have reached north of the Alps as early as the 3rd century, pushing previous estimates back by about a hundred years. According to "Onet," it was previously believed that Christianity began to gain significance in this region only in the 4th century. It's worth noting that followers of this religion were subject to persecution at that time.
Ina Hartwig, Frankfurt's Councilor for Culture and Science, emphasized that the discovery of the amulet has enormous significance for many fields of science, such as archaeology, religious studies, and anthropology. She added that the find sheds new light on the early phases of the spread of Christianity in Europe and people's lives during the late Roman Empire.
