On tours of the Holy Land over the years, I have found visitors captivated by archaeological ruins but often repelled by churches. Particularly if still in use, they can have all the trappings of religion but lack authenticity. Many evangelical Christians lack enthusiasm for such religious buildings.
This is a shame, as some of the oldest churches in existence have great apologetic value for the historicity and credibility of the Christian faith. Here are my top five, in no particular order, from the Holy Land.
1. Megiddo. In 2005 archaeologists were excavating a prison at Megiddo in Israel. They discovered an early Christian house-church dating from 200 AD. The floor was an elaborate mosaic which included a Greek inscription, “The god-loving Akeptous has offered the table to God Jesus Christ as a memorial.” Some critics dismiss claims to Christ’s divinity as a misreading of Bible texts, and suggest the idea of Jesus being God was a later invention attributed to the Council of Nicea in 325 AD. Nonsense! The archaeological evidence shows that belief in Jesus as God belongs to the earliest layers of Christian history – just as the Bible would lead us to expect (John 1v1; Phil. 2v6; Titus 2v13; 2 Peter 1v1; Mark 2v7).
2. Capernaum. A simple home in the small town of Capernaum was discovered in the 1960s that had developed into a church. However, within a generation or two of Jesus it had been modified into a meeting site which could have held over 30 people. Archaeologists found remains of unusual plastered walls and Christian symbols including signs of the cross, fish, and chi-rho along with references to “Peter” and the “Lord Jesus Christ”. Eventually it became a larger octagonal basilica, matching the form of Byzantine Church architecture. It was then abandoned and forgotten. Many scholars believe this particular building had once been the home of Simon Peter, modified into a meeting place for worship.
3. Bethlehem. The Church of the Holy Nativity dates back to the 330s AD, soon after Emperor Constantine permitted Christian worship in the Empire. It was built over a system of caves that local traditions had associated with the birthplace of Jesus. Today it is hard to make sense of it with the clutter of elaborate religious decoration, but it does preserve the remains of a small limestone cave. Beneath the neighbouring Church of St Catherine, another connected cave can be visited which retains the more primitive features of a grotto. It was here Jerome translated the Bible into Latin (390 AD). The reason for the building of this ancient Church were the strong local traditions regarding the birthplace of Jesus. Whether it is exactly the right place, the Church of the Nativity is a very credible site for his birth. It helps us understand what we have since come to call a stable. In first century Bethlehem the stable was more likely the limestone cave upon which a simple house had been built.
4. Jerusalem. One of the most extraordinary sites in all Christian history is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (perhaps better named the Church of the Resurrection). Maintained and used by multiple Catholic and Orthodox traditions, it can be the scene of religious squabbles among priests and is generally quite dark and forbidding. But there is good evidence that it does mark the locations for the death and burial of Jesus. The remains of an abandoned stone quarry, suitable for public executions and family tombs, had been buried during the time of Hadrian (reigned 117–138 AD) and a pagan Roman temple built on top. That this temple had to be demolished and the earth excavated for a church does suggest that there must have been good reason and local knowledge to identify the site. In a recent archaeological survey, remnants of 2,000-year-old olive trees and grapevines were found. A picture has emerged of a disused stone quarry used as an area for burials and agriculture alongside a rocky outcrop used for executions.
5. Jordan. On the east side of the river Jordan are the ruins of an ancient church in what would have been Bethany Beyond the Jordan. It is the earliest site to have been identified as the location where John baptised Jesus (John 1v28). Archaeological excavations since the 1990s have given more and more credibility to the authenticity of the site. The course of the Jordan has shifted over time but a narrow water course still winds its way through the middle of the church building. There is evidence of multiple rebuilding of the church over time, with various baptistries. The abandonment of the church is not surprising as it would frequently experience flooding and the river itself would shift course. The church provides clear evidence for early Christian understandings of baptism – including plenty of room for full immersion.
All these examples have layers of tradition that might make it hard to appreciate how close they bring us to the events themselves. But they were built at a time when the early traditions were close to the events themselves and enhance their credibility. There are many more that could be added to this list of five, and they all testify to the historicity of the Christian faith.
