The team found, among other things, a cross and an early Christian monogram known as Chi-Rho, which represents the first two letters of the word “Christ.” This discovery serves as a reminder that a community of early Christians once lived in biblical Laodicea.
In the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament, there are words from Christ regarding early Christian communities. In Revelation 1:11, Jesus instructs John: “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”
Another passage from the Letter to the Colossians states that Laodicea was a center of early Christianity, likely founded by Epaphras, a disciple of the Apostle Paul.
What is known about the discovery?
The hall, also known as a bouleuterion, served as a center for political and judicial gatherings. It could accommodate around 800 people, according to the Daily Mail.
Since the discovered symbols were carved into a building dated to 50 B.C., researchers believe that Christians may have added them later, possibly centuries after the hall was constructed.
On the seats, archaeologists observed inscriptions of names belonging to council members, leaders, elders, youths, and ordinary citizens. This is how the Romans designated the places of representatives from various groups that made up the diverse governing body of the city.
Next to the ruins of the ancient Roman hall, researchers also uncovered a headless statue of Emperor Trajan.
expanded its territory into western Turkey, including Laodicea, after defeating the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century B.C. Roman Emperor Trajan, who ruled from 98 to 117 A.D., extended the empire’s borders into Asia Minor, where the seven early Christian communities mentioned in the Book of Revelation were located.
The discovery of Christian symbols in an administrative building may indicate that Christianity was gradually gaining influence in the city despite persecution from Roman authorities.