Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
Credit: Museum of the Bible
In a discovery hailed as the “greatest since the Dead Sea Scrolls,” an 1,800-year-old mosaic declaring Jesus as God was unearthed in an Israeli prison, now displayed at Washington, DC’s Museum of the Bible. (Scientific Reports)
Credit: Museum of the Bible
The Greek inscription reads, “The god-loving Akeptous has offered the table to God Jesus Christ as a memorial,” marking one of the earliest known declarations of Jesus’s divinity.
Credit: Museum of the Bible
This mosaic once decorated a 230 AD prayer hall—the oldest ever discovered—confirming that early Christians worshipped Jesus as the Son of God, predating formalized Christian doctrine.
Credit: Museum of the Bible
The mosaic includes fish imagery, an early Christian symbol referencing Luke 9:16’s account of Jesus multiplying fish to feed thousands, providing further insight into early Christian practices.
Credit: Museum of the Bible
An inscription credits Gaianus, a Roman officer, with funding the mosaic, suggesting Christians and Romans coexisted peacefully, challenging the common narrative of Roman persecution.
The mosaic highlights five women—Akeptous, Primilla, Cyriaca, Dorothea, and Chreste—indicating the significant roles women played in early Christian communities, a rarity for historical inscriptions.
Credit: Museum of the Bible
Unearthed near Megiddo in the Jezreel Valley, believed to be the site of the Biblical Armageddon, this mosaic holds profound significance for Christian history and eschatological beliefs.
The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) carefully restored and relocated the mosaic, with pieces weighing up to a thousand pounds shipped in 11 crates to the U.S. for exhibition.
Despite its significance, the Museum of the Bible’s display has stirred controversy, with critics questioning the museum’s history of acquiring artifacts and its ideological ties.
Once the exhibit concludes in 2025, the mosaic will return to Israel and be permanently displayed at its original site, with Megiddo inmates relocated to preserve this historic artifact.