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An astonishing discovery near Frankfurt, Germany, has shed light on the spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire, revealing its presence in the northern Alpine region far earlier than previously thought. Unearthed in 2018 at the site of the ancient Roman city of Nida, an 1,800-year-old silver amulet holds what is now the oldest known inscription of Christian devotion north of the Alps.
Dubbed “The Frankfurt Inscription,” this tiny artifact — measuring just 1.37 inches — features 18 lines of Latin text inscribed on wafer-thin silver foil. The grave in which it was found dates between 230 and 270 A.D., predating all other evidence of Christianity in the region by at least 50 years.
A glimpse into Early Christian practices
Popular Mechanics explains that the amulet, identified as a phylactery, was likely worn around the neck of its owner, a man buried in a Roman cemetery. Positioned under his chin, the artifact was a cherished object, possibly meant to offer protection in life and death.
Its inscription, deciphered through groundbreaking imaging technology, offers a powerful expression of early Christian belief. The text reads in part:
“Holy, holy, holy!
In the name of Jesus Christ, Son of God!
... The Lord of the World resists with strength
all attacks.
This rescue device protects
the person who surrenders to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ...”
References to bowing knees and confessing tongues evoke Philippians 2:10-11, illustrating the amulet’s scriptural roots and theological significance.
Decoding the mystery
The silver foil was too fragile to unroll, but modern technology unraveled its secrets. Scientists at the Leibniz Center for Archaeology in Mainz used a high-resolution CT scanner to create a 3D model of the inscription. Piece by piece, experts painstakingly reconstructed the text – a process that took years of collaboration between archaeologists, theologians, and historians.
The Latin text stands out in a period when Greek and Hebrew were more commonly used in religious inscriptions, suggesting a distinct Christian identity in this Roman frontier region.
A shift in understanding
This find has profound implications for understanding Christianity’s spread in the Roman Empire. It suggests that the faith reached northern Roman provinces earlier than previously believed, thriving among small communities in regions once thought to be predominantly pagan.
“This extraordinary find affects many areas of research and will keep science busy for a long time,” said Ina Hartwig, Frankfurt’s head of culture and science, according to Popular Mechanics. Indeed, the artifact changes the timeline of Christian expansion and enriches our understanding of early Christian practices and devotional life.
Faith in every fragment
For Christians today, the Frankfurt Inscription offers a humbling reminder of the enduring power of faith, even in its simplest expressions. The man buried with the amulet may have been one of many early believers who carried their convictions in life and death, trusting in the words inscribed on fragile silver.
As scholars continue to study this groundbreaking discovery, the tiny amulet stands as a testament to the resilience of early Christian faith — its message echoing across centuries and mountains: “Holy, holy, holy! In the name of Jesus Christ, Son of God!”
