An ancient marble cross, thought to be as much as 1,200 years old, was discovered in the foothills of the Karakoram mountain range in the heart of the Himalayas, providing evidence for Christianity’s early arrival in northern Pakistan from the Middle East.
Three researchers from the University of Baltistan found the 2.1m x 1.8m cross near their base camp in the predominantly Muslim region bordering with China, Afghanistan and India. It is estimated to weigh around four tonnes.
‘Praise the Lord, this makes me very joyful,’ was the reaction of one Pakistani Christian leader. ‘It will be a great encouragement to Christians in Pakistan to show that our faith was here many, many generations ago, before Islam came.’
The research team noted that the way the cross has been carved is similar to traditional Buddhist carving, suggesting that the Christians who made it may have been converts. According to Byzantine history expert, Béatrice Caseau, the cross is evidence that merchants from the Middle East brought Christianity to this mountainous region. The location was once on the Silk Road trade route that linked China and Pakistan in a region where Christians are now a marginalised and persecuted minority.
