In 2005, an ancient Christian mosaic was excavated on the grounds of the Megiddo Prison in Israel. It was discovered in what is believed to be a domus ecclesiae, an early Christian house-church, in the ancient Jewish-Samaritan village of Othnay. The mosaic displays images of fish - an early Christian symbol - and three Greek inscriptions dating to 230 AD. One of the inscriptions reads, "The god-loving Akeptous has offered the table to God Jesus Christ as a memorial." Scholars believe Akeptous was a woman who donated a table to be used for the communion ceremony. Because Israel has adopted European standards for minimum space per inmate, the inmates from the Megiddo Prison are being moved to a new facility. The site is now being turned into an archaeological park and the mosaic will soon be displayed to the public. Critics of Christianity have sometimes claimed that the belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ did not arise until after the Council of Nicaea "declared" him to be God in 325 AD. The "Jesus Christ God" mosaic confirms the New Testament record that Jesus was worshiped as God by the early Christians, and it is important archaeological evidence of this belief that predates the Council of Nicaea by almost 100 years.
Off-site Links:
- https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/MAGAZINE-archaeological-park-to-be-opened-on-site-of-prison-in-northern-israel-1.5866058
- https://www.christiantoday.com/article/ancient-mosaic-describing-jesus-christ-as-god-to-be-unveiled-in-israel/126745.htm
