Miraculously transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit into the Body, Blood, Table, the tapeza, where the offering of the bread and the wine were These supports were undoubtedly the base for the Eucharistic Rectangular stone supports were discovered firmly anchored into the stone floor These structures were the bases for a central archįraming the focal point of the Sanctuary, and just under the missing arch two At the end of the hall two monolithic pilasters protrude Modest 16 feet by 32 feet, but within its walls several significant finds haveĬast light upon the rituals of Christians in the earliest centuries of the Roman soldiers and their families who lived in the local community. What makes this siteĮspecially unique is that it was established as a place of Christian worship by It is one of very few Christian churches which dates to before theĮdict of Milan in 313AD when the Roman Empire officially recognized ChristianityĪs an approved religion protected by the Roman state. Archaeologists date the site to circaĢ30AD. Excavators haveĭiscovered courtyards, large ritual baths, a bakery, alleyways, living quartersĪnd most important, a Christian meeting hall that may be the earliest ChristianĬhurch discovered in the Holy Land. Roman domination of the provinces of Judea and Samaria. The site of the headquarters of the Roman army of the Sixth ( Ferrata)Īnd Second ( Traiana) Legions who occupied the Holy Land, assuring The Megiddo Prison in modern Israel an archaeological excavation has revealed THE EARLY CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS OF THE OCTAGON AND THE FISH