The history of Christianity may change with a new skeleton amulet found in Germany. Archeologists discovered a silver amulet buried in a grave in Frankfurt, Germany. They have confirmed that the amulet is 1,800 years old and inscribed with 18 lines written in Latin about Christianity.
The amulet which was found in the grave dates back to between 230 and 270 AD. It has now been titled "The Frankfurt Inscription."
According to Popular Mechanics, The amulet contains a 1.37-inch long silver foil. So far, the skeleton amulet is the oldest evidence of Christianity found north of the Alps. Every other piece of evidence that confirms the existence of the religion in the Roman Empire is at least 50 years younger, coming from the fourth century.
Ina Hartwig, head of culture and science at Frankfurt, said that the skeleton amulet will keep researchers busy for a long time.
"This extraordinary find affects many areas of research and will keep science busy for a long time."
"This applies to archaeology as well as to religious studies, philology, and anthropology. Such a significant find here in Frankfurt is truly something extraordinary," Ina added.
What does the inscription on the skeleton amulet read?
The amulet was originally found in the grave in 2018 at an archeological site situated in what once was the Roman city of Nida. A Roman cemetery was discovered during the excavation, and the grave was marked with the number 134.
The amulet was found under the chin of a skeleton, and it was likely that the person wore it around the neck. The Archeological Museum Frankfurt restored the amulet as it had wafer-thin foil, which was too brittle to roll out.
It was a challenge to roll out the sheet and then translate the inscription. Therefore, in March 2024, the amulet was scanned with high resolution and then its 3D model was created. Piece by piece, the object was scanned, and the inscription was available to be translated.
While amulets about 1,800 years ago were inscribed in Hebrew or Greek, this one had Latin text. According to Daily Mail, the translation reads,
"(In the name?) of Saint Titus. Holy, holy, holy! In the name of Jesus Christ, Son of God! The lord of the world resists with [strengths?] all attacks (?)/setbacks?. The god(?) grants entry to well-being."
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"This rescue device (?) protects the person who surrendersoto the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, since before Jesus Christ bend all knees: the heavenly ones, the earthly and the subterranean, and every tongue confess (to Jesus Christ)."
The skeleton amulet shows the rise of Christianity in the North at that age. While it was dangerous and risky for people in the third century to identify as a Christian, this person who wore the amulet could be a devotee.
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