Ancient Christian amulet unearthed after 1,500 years may hold biblical secret

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Ancient Christian amulet unearthed after 1,500 years may hold biblical secret

Fox News · 5 hours ago

Archaeologists excavating the Türkmen Karahöyük site in Konya, central Turkey, have discovered a 1,500-year-old Christian amulet containing a wafer-thin sheet of gold that experts believe may bear a biblical inscription. The find, reported by Turkish state media outlet Anadolu Agency, was made by an international team of around 60 researchers from 13 countries and adds to a string of recent biblically linked discoveries in Turkey, underlining the region's significance for understanding early Christian and ancient Anatolian history.

The amulet, dating to the fourth or fifth century AD, consists of a copper case housing a 0.1-millimetre gold sheet thought to carry a passage of scripture, though which passage remains unidentified. Excavation co-director Michele Rüzgar Massa said such amulets are rare, with only one comparable example known from Germany, and suggested this one likely belonged to a young child as a protective charm. The team also uncovered much older artefacts at the multilayered site, including a Bronze Age stone seal bearing a hieroglyphic Luwian inscription linked to the Hittite god Kurunta, dated to roughly 1500–1400 BC, alongside two copper seals and a clay seal impression.

  • 1,500-year-old gold-and-copper Christian amulet found in Konya, Turkey
  • May contain an unidentified biblical passage, likely a child's charm
  • Bronze Age Luwian seal and other artefacts also unearthed nearby

Art Culture World

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