Just 1 Question: "Who Was Saint Georgeous?"
A picture shows a cave under Saint Georgeous Church in Rihab near Mafraq, where early Christians are believed to have taken as a shelter from persecution in Jerusalem. Circular-shaped stone seats, supposedly for the clergymen can be seen in the cave.
(Photo by Rula Samain, Jordon Times)
What may be 1 of the 1st Catholic Churches has been discovered in Rihab in northern Jordan near the Syrian border. It was found by archeologists underneath St. Georgeous Church. St. Geourgeous dates from 230 AD. Archeologists think this Church dates somewhere from 33 AD to 70 AD.
According to the report in the Jordan Times: " “We have uncovered what we believe to be the first church in the world, dating from 33AD to 70AD,” said Archaeologist Abdul Qader Hussan, head of the Rihab Centre for Archaeological Studies.
The discovery was “amazing”, Hussan told The Jordan Times.
“We have evidence to believe this church sheltered the early Christians: the 70 disciples of Jesus Christ,” the scholar said.
The early Christians, described in the mosaic inscription on St. Georgeous floor as “the 70 beloved by God and Divine”, are said to have fled from Jerusalem during the persecution of Christians, to the northern part of Jordan, particularly to Rihab, he added.
Citing historical sources, the expert said the 70 lived and practised their rituals in secrecy in this underground church.
We believe that they did not leave the cave and lived until the Christian religion was embraced by Roman rulers.
“It was then when St. Georgeous was built,” said Hussan.
Saint Georgeous is believed to be the oldest “proper” church in the world, built in 230AD. This status is only challenged by a church unearthed in Aqaba in 1998, also dating back to 3rd century.
The findings in the graveyard near the cave offer valuable clues, according to Hussan.
“We found pottery items that date back from the 3rd to 7th century,” he added. The findings show that the first Christians and their offshoot continued living in the area till the late Roman rule.
“Going down a few steps into the cave, one would see a circle shape area, believed to be the apse, and several stone seats for the ecclesiastics,” he added.
Archimandrite Nektarious, Bishop Deputy of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, described the discovery of the cave as an “important milestone for Christians all around the world”.
“The only other cave in the world similar in shape and purpose is in Thessalonica, Greece,” the bishop said in an interview in Amman.
The cave also embraces the living place of the first Christians. “A wall with an entrance is the only partition separating the altar from the living area,” Hussan said.
There is also a deep tunnel, which is believed to have led the 70 Christians to their source of water, the archaeologist added."
The discovery was “amazing”, Hussan told The Jordan Times.
“We have evidence to believe this church sheltered the early Christians: the 70 disciples of Jesus Christ,” the scholar said.
The early Christians, described in the mosaic inscription on St. Georgeous floor as “the 70 beloved by God and Divine”, are said to have fled from Jerusalem during the persecution of Christians, to the northern part of Jordan, particularly to Rihab, he added.
Citing historical sources, the expert said the 70 lived and practised their rituals in secrecy in this underground church.
We believe that they did not leave the cave and lived until the Christian religion was embraced by Roman rulers.
“It was then when St. Georgeous was built,” said Hussan.
Saint Georgeous is believed to be the oldest “proper” church in the world, built in 230AD. This status is only challenged by a church unearthed in Aqaba in 1998, also dating back to 3rd century.
The findings in the graveyard near the cave offer valuable clues, according to Hussan.
“We found pottery items that date back from the 3rd to 7th century,” he added. The findings show that the first Christians and their offshoot continued living in the area till the late Roman rule.
“Going down a few steps into the cave, one would see a circle shape area, believed to be the apse, and several stone seats for the ecclesiastics,” he added.
Archimandrite Nektarious, Bishop Deputy of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, described the discovery of the cave as an “important milestone for Christians all around the world”.
“The only other cave in the world similar in shape and purpose is in Thessalonica, Greece,” the bishop said in an interview in Amman.
The cave also embraces the living place of the first Christians. “A wall with an entrance is the only partition separating the altar from the living area,” Hussan said.
There is also a deep tunnel, which is believed to have led the 70 Christians to their source of water, the archaeologist added."
"So far, 30 churches have been discovered in Rihab,” Hussan said. It is also believed that Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary have passed through this area, he added." Given its location this is very possible.
This serves to remind us of how much things have changed in the Middle East since the 1st Century AD. This is where it all started. & at 1 time there was a much larger Catholic presence there.
It also reminds us of how little some aspects have changed as well. Even though the numbers are much lower, there are still Catholics of various sui iuris Churches living here. Their roots & the roots of our Catholic Liturgies (East as well as West) run back to the very early days of the Church.
However, despite attempts to google an answer, 1 question still remains: "Who was St. Georgeous?"
posted by Al @ 12:45 PM
2 Comments:
At 2/4/10 2:59 PM ,
Unknown said...
it was NOT 'catholic', it was christian. the concept of 'catholic' didn't exist until several centuries later. the users of this church would not have even known what 'catholic' was. please stop using anachronisms.
At 3/4/10 12:51 AM ,
Al said...
Will, your anti-Catholicism is showing.
In the letter of St. Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans, written about the year 110 AD the following appears: "Wheresoever the bishop shall appear, there let the people be, even as where Jesus may be, there is the universal [katholike] Church." 110 isn't exactly the several centuries you claim.
Then there is the Letter on the Martyrdom of St. Polycarp (c 155 AD) that called St. Polycarp "the bishop of the catholic church in Smyrna"
Then there is the Muratorian Fragment (c. 180 AD) In talks of certain heretical writings that t"cannot be received in the Catholic Church". Next up, this by Clement of Alexandria (who died in 215 AD): "We say that both in substance and in seeming, both in origin and in development, the primitive and Catholic Church is the only one, agreeing as it does in the unity of one faith"
So it is clear the concept existed from the early days & was well established by the end of the 2nd Century, not several centuries later as you claim.
2ndly, even if the term wasn't used in the 1st Century it WAS the Catholic Church because the Catholic Church IS the 1 founded by Jesus. So it is not an anachronism to call it what it is, a Catholic Church. Using your logic, it is also an anachronism to call any early Church Christian before the time the term was 1st used in Antioch, so you have no right to say it should be called Christian either following your logic.
As I said at the start, it is clear your anti-Catholicism is showing. Might I suggest you go back & read the Early Church Fathers to see that the Catholic Church today is the same Catholic Church that existed from 33 AD.
The Coming Home Network International has several excellent resources that also back up my claims.
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