In the city of Ribach, located in Jordan near the border with Syria, there are about thirty ancient Christian churches, erected in the name of Jesus and the Most Holy Theotokos. In 2008, the fame of the town thundered all over the world.
It was in the town of Ribach, under the ruins of the Church of St. George, the construction of which dates back to 230 AD, that enthusiastic archaeologists discovered a cave temple. Steps carved into the wall lead to the church. The staircase leads to an oval room, where, apparently, the first Christians prayed.
Cave temple
The director of the Ribach Center for Archaeological Research Abdul Qader Al-Hasan, who led the expedition, said that the cult structure, conventionally called the Cave Temple, was erected more than two millennia ago, at a time when the first Christians were persecuted and were forced to secretly hide in order to confess their faith. This continued until Christianity was declared the official religion in the Roman Empire.
In the cave church, Christian rituals were performed, since during the examination of its premises, a round altar (apse) was discovered and around it seats carved out of stone. In the Church of St. George, which was built over the cave church much later, the words about "seventy beloved disciples of the Son of God" are carved inside on the vault, it is obvious that this inscription was made in memory of the martyrs of the faith who were persecuted for their faith - this is the opinion of the researchers cave church. During the excavations, iron crosses were also found, which testify to the adherents of Christianity.
Lingering controversy
Kader al-Hassan's statement is disputed by Israeli archaeologists and historians, who claim that the oldest Christian temple is located in the north of Israel. The head of the archaeological excavation made a statement that the ruins of the church, which were discovered, most likely date back to the first century after the birth of Christ.
Archaeologists and historians of Israel suggest that there are more ancient remains of Christian temples on the territory of the country, possibly dating back to the fourth century AD.
Today, all archaeological finds are thoroughly examined and studied in order to determine with certainty which of the discovered churches is the oldest. The disputes are heated with the involvement of the most authoritative archaeologists and historians of many countries, and representatives of the Christian Church are also involved in the study of facts. Perhaps, soon the whole world will know the answer to the question of which church is the oldest of the Christian churches on Earth.
