1800-year-old silver amulet could rewrite the history of Christianity in the Roman Empire

The discovery of the amulet in Frankfurt indicates that Christian ideas reached the west of the Roman Empire earlier than previously thought.

A pioneering discovery in Frankfurt, Germany, has revealed an 1,800-year-old silver amulet that contains the oldest proof of Christianity north of the Alps. The artifact, found in a grave dated between 230 and 270 AD, could rewrite history about the Spread of Christianity in the early Roman Empireresearchers announced on December 11.

The amulet, which measures just 3.5 centimeters, was discovered in 2018 at the burial of a man who probably wore it on a chain around his neck. It contains a very thin silver parchment with a Latin inscription, which has been digitally unrolled using advanced imaging techniques.

This inscription, currently called “Frankfurt registration”, references exclusively Christian beliefs and includes the oldest known example of certain phrases, such as “Holy, Holy, Holy!”

The text invokes Jesus Christ as the Son of God and cites an old quote from Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. The rarity of such inscriptions is notable because they are written in Latin, as most early Christian amulets featured Greek or Hebrew text, says the .

Tine Rassalle, an independent biblical archaeologist, highlighted the uniqueness of the artifact’s origin. “Christian amulets were common in the eastern Mediterranean, but this discovery shows that Christian ideas had already arrived to the western Roman territories,” Rassalle explained.

Amulets like this were believed to offer protection against misfortunesuch as illnesses or demonic forces. Its use in Late Antiquity was widespread, but was mainly concentrated in the first centers of Christianity in the Eastern Roman Empire. The German find suggests a significant presence of Christianity in the region, long before it became dominant in the West.

The discovery of the amulet led scholars to reconsider the chronology of Christianity’s expansion in the West. Frankfurt Mayor Mike Josef called the find a “scientific sensation”, highlighting its historical significance for Christianity and the city of Frankfurt.