An inmate of the Megiddo prison found the 1,800-year-old mosaic, which bears the ancient Greek inscription, "The god-loving Akeptous has offered the table to God Jesus Christ as a memorial."
According to historians, the 581-square-foot mosaic graced the world's earliest prayer hall around 230 AD, confirming that Christians had always regarded Jesus Christ to be God. The Megiddo Mosaic also has some of the earliest depictions of fish, which experts believe are a reference to the Bible text Luke 9:16, in which Jesus multiplied two fish to feed a 5,000-person audience.
Carlos Campo, CEO of the Museum of the Bible, praised the mosaic at the opening of the exhibit, describing it as the "greatest discovery since the Dead Sea Scrolls," as per the Daily Mail.
"We truly are among the first people to ever see this, to experience what almost 2,000 years ago was put together by a man named Brutius, the incredible craftsman who laid the flooring here," said Campo. His colleagues added that the archaeological discovery is "important for understanding the early Christian church."
The Megiddo Mosaic was discovered in the Jezreel Valley, where Christians believe the last battle of the biblical Armageddon, as described in the Book of Revelations, will take place.
Source link