Little Blue Birdie’s Diary

Archaeologists unearth another ancient church

Dear Diary,

How are you? After a busy and tiring month, I'm back on track with my work. I didn't even have time to watch television

 or news. So, I didn't know anything new about the world. But, since I was bitten by the travel bug a long time ago, I was keen on touring places.

I think that's why the news about the Jordan Church caught my attention. I asked my birdie friends to fly there as soon as we finish our exams. But they didn't want to join me as they were in a hurry to go home and see their parents. Hey, now don't think that I don't want to be at home!

The difference is that I live in my own house everyday, while my friends are boarded in the big city for their study purposes. So, it is very understandable that they miss their homes very much.

However, as I was keen to know more details about that place, I thought it's worth paying a visit to Jordan. Then I could tell you some more details about this place. The experts have not confirmed all the details yet, because many archaeologists around the world have different views about what archeologists of Jordan have to say.

However, the Jordanian officials say that, if tests confirm that it dates back to between 33 AD and 70 AD, as the

 archaeologists claim, it would make it the earliest known place of Christian worship, by around two hundred years.

According to a report in the Jordan Times newspaper, a very early underground church was found beneath the ancient Saint Georgeous Church, which itself dates back to 230 AD, in Rihab, northern Jordan near the Syrian border.

Saint Georgeous is believed to be the oldest "proper" church in the world, built in 230 AD. This status is only challenged by a church unearthed in Aqaba, Jordan, in 1998, also dating back to the 3rd century.

It is claimed that it was originally used by a group of 70 persecuted Christians who fled from Jerusalem to save their lives. These early Christians lived and practised their faith in secrecy until the Romans embraced Christianity several hundred years later.

According to Dr Abdul Qader Al-Hassan, the director of the Rihab Centre for Archaeological Studies, the cave site shows clear evidence of early Christian rituals that predate the church.

Dr Al-Hassan says that steps lead down into the chapel which is approximately 12m long and seven metres wide. 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.

It is also believed that Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary passed through this area. The area of worship has a circular element, which is called an apse. It is important because there is only one other example of a cave with a similar feature, which was also used for Christian worship. Dr Al-Hassan says: "We found beautiful things; we found the cemetery of this church, pottery shards and lamps with the inscription 'Georgeous'.”

In the cave there is also a tunnel that leads to a cistern which supplied water to the dwellers.

An inscription in the floor of the church above refers to the "70 beloved by God and the divine" whom the archaeologist believes were refugees from religious persecution in Jerusalem. The only other cave in the world similar in shape and purpose is known to be in Thessalonika, Greece.

The whole place was amazing. However, the archaeologists still don't have many details to release. They are really excited about it. The whole world is waiting until they confirm the dates of the church.