Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Trimithis in Egypt discovered something notable among the ruins of an early Christian church n the region. In what has been described as as “surprisng” find, the remains of 17 human bodies dated to the mid-fourth century have shed light on the early days of Christianity in the region.
According to reports, the city being investigated was a former Egyptian settlement under Roman rule from 30 B.C. until 641 A.D., when Muslims took control of the region. Researchers explained that the discovery of the church was particularly notable, as Emperor Constantine had not yet made it illegal to persecute Christians at the time it is dated to. Therefore, those who worshiped at this church risked a great deal to express their faith in Christ.
Speaking about the finding, researcher David Ratzan said, “In any case, churches in this style, based on the Roman basilica, a type of public building dedicated to administration and law, date back only to a generation or two before the church at Trimithis, since only then did Christians feel sufficiently confident to build proudly public spaces of worship.”
Furthermore, the human remains discovered by archaeologists included included females, highlighting the importance of women in early Christianity, contrasting the patriarchal practices of other societies during the same period. The bodies were buried in crypts that would have been placed beneath the altar.
“While there is good evidence that women were important in early Christianity, it was still surprising to find such a concentration of women and children buried in this church, since Roman Egypt was a patriarchal society,” Ratzan explained.
The findings of the women have raised questions as to the nature of their relationship with the church. “Were these people related to clergy or prominent patrons who helped build and maintain the church?” Ratzan questioned. The researcher further pondered if this was a typical practice throughout other churches during this era or if it was unique to the church in Trimithis. “Are crypts like this typical of churches of this period, or idiosyncratic to the oases?” he asked.
“For now, though, this is an exciting discovery and one that we expect will make a significant impact on the discussion of the history of early Christianity,” Ratzan said. “And we still have one volume to publish on the church that we are working on now: the small finds and the forensic anthropology of the skeletons.”
The Christian Tribune previously reported on another major archaeological discovery, where researchers discovered one of the world’s oldest churches in the world at the Artaxata site in the Ararat Plain in Armenia. “The 4th century building is the oldest archaeologically documented church in the country – sensational evidence for early Christianity in Armenia,” University of Münster Professor Achim Lichtenberger said, noting the significance of the discovery. “According to legend, Gregory the Illuminator converted the Armenian king Tiridates III to Christianity in Artaxata in 301 AD, making Armenia the first Christian state in the world,”
Featured image credit: Heinrich Hofmann, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jesus_Christ_-_Hofmann.jpg