The debate surrounding an ancient Christian mosaic that contains an early reference to Jesus as God has captured the attention of archaeologists. The question at hand is whether this centuries-old decorated floor, discovered near the alleged site of Armageddon, should be uprooted and lent to a US museum that has faced criticism for its past acquisition practices. Israeli officials are currently deliberating this proposal, which highlights the growing relationship between Israel and evangelical Christians in the US. Israel relies on this group for political support, tourism revenue, and other advantages, according to the AP.
The Megiddo Mosaic was found in what is believed to be the oldest Christian prayer hall in the world, located in a Roman-era village in northern Israel. It was unearthed by Israeli archaeologists during a salvage excavation in 2005, conducted as part of an Israeli prison expansion project near Tel Megiddo. The prison is used for detaining Palestinian security inmates. Dated back to the third century, before the Roman Empire embraced Christianity and persecuted its followers, the mosaic features Greek inscriptions, including an offering “To God Jesus Christ.”
Spanning a field scattered with cow dung and pottery fragments, the site of an ancient city, Bronze and Iron Age battles, is believed by some Christians to be the stage for a final battle between good and evil known as Armageddon. Evangelicals, in particular, view this as the backdrop for the awaited Second Coming, when divine wrath will vanquish God’s adversaries and ensure ultimate justice. The Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) plans to reach a decision on the mosaic’s relocation after consulting with an advisory body in the upcoming weeks.
The IAA argues that moving the mosaic from its original location will protect it during the prison’s upcoming construction. However, several archaeologists and scholars strongly object to the removal of the Megiddo Mosaic and its display at the Museum of the Bible. The museum has faced criticism for its collecting practices and for promoting an evangelical Christian political agenda since its establishment in 2017. In 2018, it was forced to repatriate a looted ancient Mesopotamian tablet from Iraq and admit that some of its Dead Sea Scroll fragments were modern forgeries. Others express concern about moving the mosaic before completing academic research on it. (Read more from the AP)
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