In 2005, prisoners at Megiddo Prison were digging foundations for a new building when they hit a mosaic floor. What they uncovered was one of the oldest Christian prayer halls ever found: a 3rd-century worship space with mosaic inscriptions dedicating it to “the God Jesus Christ.” The discovery stunned the archaeological world. A Christian prayer hall from the period when Christianity was still an illegal, persecuted faith, hidden beneath a modern Israeli prison next to the ancient site of Megiddo.
The Mosaic
The mosaic floor features three inscriptions in Greek. One mentions a Roman officer who donated the table (altar) for the worship space. Another dedicates the mosaic to “the God Jesus Christ” as a memorial. The third records a woman named Ekeptos who donated the floor. These inscriptions date the prayer hall to the early 3rd century, well before Constantine legalized Christianity in 313 CE.
A geometric mosaic depicting fish, an early Christian symbol, decorates the floor. The absence of a cross, which did not become a widespread Christian symbol until later, is consistent with the early date.
The Significance
The Megiddo church is one of the earliest known Christian worship spaces in the world. It predates the great churches of the Holy Land by over a century and provides physical evidence of a Christian community worshipping in secret during the era of Roman persecution. The location next to a Roman military camp suggests that some of the soldiers stationed at Megiddo had converted to Christianity.
Visit with Hoshen Tours
The Megiddo prison mosaic is an extraordinary discovery. Hoshen Tours includes it when access is available, combining it with Tel Megiddo and the valley’s other ancient sites.