A small silver amulet discovered in Germany provides new insights into the spread of Christianity in Europe during the Roman Empire, according to researchers who deciphered its text.
The 3.5-centimeter-long object was found in 2018 next to a skeleton at the Roman cemetery of Nida, near Frankfurt, one of Hesse's significant archaeological sites. It is believed to have been worn around the neck.
Until recently, no one had studied a fragile aluminum sheet hidden within the unusual object. Archaeologists feared it would disintegrate if they attempted to unroll it.
X-rays taken in 2019 revealed that the sheet bore engraved words. However, it took another five years for researchers at the Frankfurt Archaeological Museum to develop a method for deciphering it.
In collaboration with experts from the Leibniz Center for Archaeology in Mainz (LEIZA), the team subjected the aluminum sheet to a CT scan.
“The challenge was that the aluminum sheet was rolled up. After about 1800 years, it was also crumpled and flattened. Using a CT scanner, we were able to scan it at very high resolution and create a three-dimensional model,” explained Ivan Calandra, head of the imaging lab at LEIZA.
Thanks to the 3D model, the team virtually unrolled the sheet and discerned 18 lines of Latin text, with multiple references to Jesus and Saint Titus, a disciple of Saint Paul.
Given that the grave where the amulet was found dates between 230 and 270 AD, the object represents the oldest evidence of Christian faith north of the Alps, according to archaeologists. The next immediate evidence is approximately half a century younger.
At the time of burial, Christianity was becoming increasingly popular in Europe, although openly identifying as a Christian remained risky.
The deceased man, aged 35 to 45, seemingly wished to take his faith with him to the grave.
The aluminum sheet “is one of the oldest indications we have for the dissemination of the New Testament in Roman Germany, as it quotes a passage from Philippians 2:10-11 in Latin translation,” stated Wolfram Kinzig from the University of Bonn, who participated in the deciphering effort. “This is a characteristic example of how biblical sayings were used in magic for the protection of the dead,” he added.