NationStates Jolt Archive

Early Christian church unearthed near Armageddon
Reuters

Nov 6, 2005 — By Cynthia Johnston

MEGIDDO PRISON, Israel (Reuters) - In a maximum-security jail just down the road from Armageddon, Israeli archaeologists have unearthed what they believe is the oldest church discovered in the land where Jesus was born.

"This is one of the most important finds of early Christianity," archaeologist Yardena Alexandre of the Israel Antiquities told journalists on a tour of the excavation on Sunday.

Remains of the church, which archaeologists date to the mid-third to early-fourth century, were found during a dig for possible artifacts before the planned construction of a new prison wing.

The ruins of the church include a mosaic tile floor with inscriptions in ancient Greek containing a reference to "The God Jesus Christ" and could shed light on early Christian practices.

The floor lies under a tarpaulin in the shadow of watchtowers, surrounded by high fences and barbed wire.

The jail is close to the hill of Armageddon, where the Book of Revelations says God will prevail over Satan in a fiery end-of-the-world battle.

"This is, in Israel for sure, the earliest church," archaeologist Yotam Tepper, who heads the excavation, told reporters.

He said archaeologists had previously discovered domestic prayer sites in the Holy Land that may be older than the ruins at the prison, but none that was classified as a church. As he spoke, two inmates cleaned the mosaic designs with sponges.

The church was built in the style of a hall, and its mosaic floor contains geometric designs and an image of fish, an early Christian symbol.

One inscription on the floor indicates that a Roman soldier helped pay for the mosaics, and another dedicates a table to the memory of Jesus, archaeologists said.

Christians faced varying levels of persecution under the Roman Empire, interspersed with periods of calm. It was during such a lull that archaeologists believe the Megiddo church was built to serve a local Christian community.

Interesting story but the thread title? eh?

WTF does this have to do with evolution?

...Uh..This would be anti-evolution...How? Even if Christ was born, and God existed, that doesn't exclude evolution.

snip

And this disproves Evolution how? I'm pretty sure every "Evolutionist" here will agree with you that there is, in fact, such things as Christian Churches.

Yeah, I agree with the previous posters. How can this affect evolutionists?

One more nail in the Evolutionists coffins!
Early Christian church unearthed near Armageddon

Hmmm... How about one more archeological site discovered?

The title got you to read the post didnt it? This is kinda like those fliers you find on college bulletin boards that say:

SEX
Now that I have your attention, Im selling a TI-84. Call 555-1212 if interested.

I'm a Christian and I don't understand the Correlation. Doesn't seem to make much sense to me. An ancient church near Armageddon has nothing to do with Evolution.

But what does that have to do with evolution?

The title got you to read the post didnt it? This is kinda like those fliers you find on college bulletin boards that say:

SEX
Now that I have your attention, Im selling a TI-84. Call 555-1212 if interested.
Good advertising form bad debate form

Good advertising form bad debate form

Do you see anyone debating? I don't. I think we all got suckered into a reading an article we wouldn't have read otherwise.

Do you see anyone debating? I don't. I think we all got suckered into a reading an article we wouldn't have read otherwise.
Well it is a debate forum

Not to mention the fact that "EVIDENCE OF JESUS" would have done the trick in a simmilar fassion and been a lot more on topic

This has nothing to do with Evolution! It is an interesting historical find, a church dating back about 400 years after the supposed death of the figure Jesus.

What does a prison have to do with Evolution?

Evolution is how a spieces adapts how a butterfly adapts to a polluted enviroment so darker colored ones harder to be seen lived more than lighter colored butterflies that got eaten

Evolution how a speices adapts to its enviroment caused by us or natural events such as volcanoe global warming etc

I think this is a wonderful thread :)

I think this is a wonderful thread :)
Me too the origional poster geting pwned for making a stupid mistake

I, Amestria, hear by award this thread and its poster with

The Non Sequitur Fallacy of the Year Award!

Me too the origional poster geting pwned for making a stupid mistake
It's no mistake

It's brilliant marketing

I, Amestria, hear by award this thread and its poster with

The Non Sequitur Fallacy of the Year Award!
Look at his next thread

this is obviously intentionally unrelated :)

also cool

It's no mistake

It's brilliant marketing
Yeah but a mistake in a debate focused forum

Sure it may get bites but it is a betrayal to debate form which this debate forum is suposed to be based on

What is good in the marketing world shows slopyness in the debate world

Yeah but a mistake in a debate focused forum

Sure it may get bites but it is a betrayal to debate form which this debate forum is suposed to be based on

What is good in the marketing world shows slopyness in the debate world
debates suck

i'm tired of cookie-cutter threads where people argue back and forth about things they've argued back and forth over at least a dozen times :(

Isn't it interesting how a thread like this can draw two pages of responses? Without any topic at all?

debates suck

i'm tired of cookie-cutter threads where people argue back and forth about things they've argued back and forth over at least a dozen times :(
Might want to leave the forum then ... political debate forum is what this is

Might want to leave the forum then ... political debate forum is what this is
this is "general," not "useless politicking"

the mods can cut down to the cookie, but until they rename it, it's GENERAL

Look at his next thread

this is obviously intentionally unrelated :)

also cool


Thank you! ;)

People die of lung cancer from smoking, thus bananas are unhealthy…

The moon appears in the sky every night, thus the Earth is hallow…

I could go on forever, this is hilarious!


:) :rolleyes: :D

Thank you! ;)
no, thank you for the laughs, brother

A very silly thread indeed :rolleyes:

People die of lung cancer from smoking, thus bananas are unhealthy…

The moon appears in the sky every night, thus the Earth is hallow…

I could go on forever, this is hilarious!


:) :rolleyes: :D
OOH! I like this angle! Can you give us a few more?! :D :D :D

Do you see anyone debating? I don't. I think we all got suckered into a reading an article we wouldn't have read otherwise.

Actually, I would have actually read the article with more interest if it had been honestly presented. Archaeology fascinates me. As it is, the thread merely leaves me with the impression that the OP is an ignorant asshat (I'm not saying he/she is and ignorant asshat, merely that the presentation leads one to make such a conclusion.)

People die of lung cancer from smoking, thus bananas are unhealthy…
Actually, bananas are dangerous. I heard this story of a tour of a nuclear power plant, and as the security guys were scanning the narrator on the way out, this one dude set off their equipment. They asked him what he did, and he said, "I stayed with the tour the entire time!" And then they go, "So, did you eat anything before hand?" And he responds, "Yeah, like three bananas!"

Moral of the story: Eat bananas if you don't want skin cancer, and still want to evolve.

And this thread makes no sense. If this was honestly presented, we'd be discussing it, instead of being like, "Wow, this thread makes no sense!" and various other things.

You need to obey your sig Barvinia.

You can't read, write nor spell. You speak before you think, yet you are seeking someone to debate. - Robert L. Sager

Troll!

Actually, bananas are dangerous. I heard this story of a tour of a nuclear power plant, and as the security guys were scanning the narrator on the way out, this one dude set off their equipment. They asked him what he did, and he said, "I stayed with the tour the entire time!" And then they go, "So, did you eat anything before hand?" And he responds, "Yeah, like three bananas!"

Moral of the story: Eat bananas if you don't want skin cancer, and still want to evolve.

And this thread makes no sense. If this was honestly presented, we'd be discussing it, instead of being like, "Wow, this thread makes no sense!" and various other things.
various other things kick ass :(

You need to obey your sig Barvinia.

You can't read, write nor spell. You speak before you think, yet you are seeking someone to debate. - Robert L. Sager

Troll!
Before we insult people, we ought to make DAMN sure of our evidence. And, as a nut, I think it is entirely plausible that Barvinia isn't interested in debating anyone, but rather in presenting some information and seeing what happens. It's presumptuous to imagine any of us know what goes through anyone else's head. Lyric gave me a refresher on that tonight ;)

If nobody just sees what happens, all we get are the typical "who's right oh really wow that's interesting but i'm offended let's take up a page being offending and then let's keep talking on something else for seven pages and then disappear when nobody cares anymore but then blah blah blah" threads that I'm really fucking tired of and probably ought to just abandon this forum over. :/

OOH! I like this angle! Can you give us a few more?! :D :D :D

Human beings are composed of atoms, the Earth is therefore flat...

Cars emit CO2, and that is why violence is some times neccessary...


Space Ghost: Get up here and attach a speaker to my head.

Moltar: Uh, why?

Space Ghost: Because Moltar, world hunger affects us all.

Moltar: Of course...


Space Ghost: Moltar, this speaker does not work. It was obviously a bad idea you had.

Moltar: Uh...

strop the frg

that's beautiful :)

lemme try


electrons have mass? i didn't even know they were catholic

oh wait

that's all wrong

various other things kick ass :(
Yes. Various other things do. But I'm confused...I am.

If nobody just sees what happens, all we get are the typical "who's right oh really wow that's interesting but i'm offended let's take up a page being offending and then let's keep talking on something else for seven pages and then disappear when nobody cares anymore but then blah blah blah" threads that I'm really fucking tired of and probably ought to just abandon this forum over. :/
So, does this give us permission to SPAAAAMMMMMMMM?!??!?! SSPPPPPAAAAAMMMMMM!!!!????

I so agree. And we are. Contnue with other fascinating things!

So, does this give us permission to SPAAAAMMMMMMMM?!??!?! SSPPPPPAAAAAMMMMMM!!!!????

N...y...m...n..m-maybe. It depends on...many factors such..as...time of day...season...weight...uhh...rate of ingestion....about 10 minutes?

Early Christian church unearthed near Armageddon
Reuters

Nov 6, 2005 — By Cynthia Johnston

MEGIDDO PRISON, Israel (Reuters) - In a maximum-security jail just down the road from Armageddon, Israeli archaeologists have unearthed what they believe is the oldest church discovered in the land where Jesus was born.

"This is one of the most important finds of early Christianity," archaeologist Yardena Alexandre of the Israel Antiquities told journalists on a tour of the excavation on Sunday.

Remains of the church, which archaeologists date to the mid-third to early-fourth century, were found during a dig for possible artifacts before the planned construction of a new prison wing.

The ruins of the church include a mosaic tile floor with inscriptions in ancient Greek containing a reference to "The God Jesus Christ" and could shed light on early Christian practices.

The floor lies under a tarpaulin in the shadow of watchtowers, surrounded by high fences and barbed wire.

The jail is close to the hill of Armageddon, where the Book of Revelations says God will prevail over Satan in a fiery end-of-the-world battle.

"This is, in Israel for sure, the earliest church," archaeologist Yotam Tepper, who heads the excavation, told reporters.

He said archaeologists had previously discovered domestic prayer sites in the Holy Land that may be older than the ruins at the prison, but none that was classified as a church. As he spoke, two inmates cleaned the mosaic designs with sponges.

The church was built in the style of a hall, and its mosaic floor contains geometric designs and an image of fish, an early Christian symbol.

One inscription on the floor indicates that a Roman soldier helped pay for the mosaics, and another dedicates a table to the memory of Jesus, archaeologists said.

Christians faced varying levels of persecution under the Roman Empire, interspersed with periods of calm. It was during such a lull that archaeologists believe the Megiddo church was built to serve a local Christian community.

Only one question: What does this have to do with evolution?

The title got you to read the post didnt it? This is kinda like those fliers you find on college bulletin boards that say:

SEX
Now that I have your attention, Im selling a TI-84. Call 555-1212 if interested.
Or a recruitment ad I once made with the thread title, "Do you want to see some nude pictures of NSers?" The thread continued "Well, we're sorry but we don't have any. However, while you're here, move to $REGION!" We got a few new members that night. ;)

Stuff this Creationist vs Evolutionist theory.
I want dig around the Church for stuff ...

Why am I so tempted to pound another nail into Barvinia's head?

If I had a hammer
I'd hammer in the morning
I'd hammer in the evening
All over Barvinia's head

:rolleyes:

after reading the title and the first post, what i think is that someone should have at least 200 posts under their belt before allowed to start threads

Barvinia: If you're going to start a debate, copying and pasting an article like this without including any sort of opinion on your part qualifies as trolling, especially with the topics that you've picked. Also, posting sources/links to where you found this information is strongly recommended. So next time you start a new thread, provide some sort of argument on your behalf.