1,200-year-old church uncovered in Syria

[onehandle]

Source: AP

DAMASCUS, Syria – Archaeologists in central Syria have unearthed the remnants of a 1,200-year-old church believed to be the largest ever discovered in this Mideast country, an antiquities official said Thursday.

Walid al-Assaad, the head of the Palmyra Antiquities and Museums Department said the church, dating back to the 8th century, was discovered recently by a joint Syrian-Polish archaeological team.

The discovery took place at an excavation site in the ancient town of Palmyra, some 153 miles northeast of the capital Damascus, the official said but did not provide a more specific timing.

The church is the fourth to be discovered in Palmyra — once a regional trade center and now an archaeological treasure trove that even contains oldest layers from the prehistoric era in Syria.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081113/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_syria_archaeology

[RedLetterRev]

1. Wonder if we'll get to see it

on Naked Archaeologist. Love watching Simcha takes stuff apart and put it all together.

[noonwitch]

3. I wish he'd write a book for kids/teens interested in archeology

My 8 1/2 year old neice wants to be an archeologist/archeological engineer. She loves his show, and reads at a much higher level than her age. She would love to read a book about it.

[acmavm]

4. I love that guy. Not only does he make history/archeology

interesting, he makes it FUN.

[aquart]

6. It IS fun. No one has to make it so.

[RedLetterRev]

5. We've got his show set on automatic

in the satellite receiver. Everything stops for the Naked Archaeologist. He has access to some of the most incredible and learned people. Mysteries of the Bible comes on our channel right after and they go deep into some of the myths and stories as well. Really interesting stuff. It really fills in the gaps for me, because my Hebrew is just awful-to-nonexistent and both shows provide some really interesting perspective on translations and the context and thought of the times.

What genealogist doesn't love a shot of history :)

[mojowork_n]

2. The numbers don't tally

The yahoo page was updated to say, "largest in Palmyra," not the largest in Syria.

I'm wondering if the 1,200 year timeline -- the church was built during the 8th century? -- might not also be a misquotation, or typo, or something.

According to this chronology of muslim conquests:

http://www.wonderfulatheistsofcfl.org/moslem.htm

'The last resistance in Syria to moslem domination...' came at the Battle of Aleppo, early in the 7th century, in 638, when the last Byzantine garrison surrendered, following a 5 month siege.

Construction of new churches in Islamic lands was not among the higher public works priorities. The only ones I've ever heard of that were built had to be constructed inside deep holes -- so that no part of the church would protrude above the horizon, and offend pious muslim eyes, or compete for air with minarets.

Otherwise, it's an interesting report.

I've always wondered what Christian worship was like during the early centuries, and how offended some of those folks would be, if they could see some of today's evangelicals, or the televangelists running infomercials to line their own pockets ("...Folks, when you send in your 'faith donation,' make out the check to my name, not to the church.").