Archaeologists Stumble on Mosaic Illustrating Jesus Christ's 'First Miracle' From a 1400-Yr-Old 'Burnt Church'
One of the biggest pursuits for archaeologists worldwide is to identify locations of different Biblical scenes. Recently experts spotted an artifact that implied they were near the spot where one of the Biblical miracles could have taken place, shared The Christian Post. The discovery took place in Israel.
Archaeologists uncovered a mosaic in Hippos near the Sea of Galilee at the Byzantine 'Burnt Church' site. The mosaic appeared to be associated with the miracle where Jesus Christ managed to feed 5,000 followers using just two fishes and five barley loaves. "Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he … blessed and broke the loaves … and he divided the two fish among them all. And all ate and were filled … Those who had eaten the loaves numbered five thousand men," Mark 6:41-44 reads.
It has been said that the particular miracle occurred at the Sea of Galilee. The church where the mosaic was uncovered is opposite the Sea of Galilee. The mosaic showcases several illustrations. One of the illustrations focuses on the miracle. Before this finding, it was believed that the miracle took place in Tabgha, a region present on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. However, researchers believe this new finding possibly challenges this assertion."Nowadays, we tend to regard the Church of the Multiplication in Tabgha on the northwest of the Sea of Galilee as the location of the miracle, but with careful reading of the New Testament, it is evident that it might have taken place north of Hippos within the city’s region," said Dr. Michael Eisenberg, who oversaw the excavations on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa.
Researchers are not concluding with confidence that the church is the site where the miracle happened. They understand that fishes and loaves featured on the mosaic could have different implications. "The fish themselves have a number of additional symbolical meanings in the Christian world," Eisenberg continued. "There can certainly be different explanations to the descriptions of loaves and fish in the mosaic, but you cannot ignore the similarity to the description in the New Testament."
Along with this finding, researchers also spotted another mosaic that featured 12 baskets. Some of the baskets contained loaves of bread while others had some fruits. Eisenberg believes this mosaic could be referring to the event that took place after the use of five loaves and two fishes to feed 5000 people. The event in question was Jesus Christ producing so many loaves that it was enough to fill 12 baskets. "Taking the five loaves and the two fish ... he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over," Matthew 14:16-20 states.
The mosaic site was burnt down during the Sasanian conquest of the city in 614 A.D. Experts think ash from the fire, helped in protecting the mosaic from damage all these years. The preservation was so exceptional, that the typically vulnerable colors and designs are also clearly visible. The mosaic will now be protected and documented using multiple methods like drone photography.