It was last read by man 1,800 years ago, when Christianity was considered a growing cult.
Now, scientists can identify the ‘Frankfurt silver script’ – an 18-line engraving on a thin piece, kept in a protective vault.
Measuring 1.4 inches (3.5cm) long, the 1,800-year-old silver amulet was found with a human skull in a burial site outside Frankfurt, Germany.
Researchers have used a CT scan machine to ‘unfold’ the ‘wafer-thin’ art and read the inscriptions inside for the first time since the third century AD.
Surprisingly, these texts represent the earliest evidence of Christianity north of the Alps, dating from between 230 and 270 AD, scientists say.
At that time, Christianity was still spreading in Europe from its origins in Judean history in the Middle East.
Described as a ‘true Christian’, the Latin text refers to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as well as Saint Titus, an early Christian missionary and church leader.
Scroll down for a full interpretation – something that has not been read by the people of the 21st century until now.
A mysterious 1,800-year-old amulet was discovered in Germany in 2018 – but scientists have only finished reading what was written inside.
An 1,800-year-old silver amulet, measuring 1.4 inches (3.5cm), was found with the remains of a man who died in the third century AD.
The findings were led by the Leibniz Center for Archeology (LEIZA) in Mainz and published by the City of Frankfurt.
“The problem with the analysis was that the silver sheet was rolled, but after about 1,800 years, it was added again,” said Ivan Calandra, archaeologist at LEIZA.
‘Using CT, we were able to image it at a very high level and create a 3D model.’
A silver amulet was found in 2018 in the northwest of Frankfurt in the ancient Roman city of Nida, the forerunner of modern Frankfurt.
They were taken from the grave of a person who was also buried with a censer and a jar made of fired clay – which could be the result of an individual.
The amulet was placed under the man’s chin and experts believe that he once wore it on a string around his neck, to protect the afterlife.
Interestingly, the man’s tomb was dated between 230 and 270 AD – a time when Christianity was a religion that was growing slowly but still being persecuted.
At the time, the popular religions were Judaism and paganism – and it was dangerous to identify as a Christian.
Researchers have used CT scanners to ‘uncover’ the paintings and read the inscriptions for the first time since the third century AD.
The mysterious ornament was taken from the grave of a man between 230 and 270 AD.
Image, digital print of thin line art with sacred text
The identification of the 18 lines of the text was led by Professor Markus Scholz, an archaeologist from Goethe University in Frankfurt.
The thin silver plate is so hard and fragile that it will bend from the long time it has been sitting on the ground.
It could disappear if experiments were made to extract it, so the team used an x-ray imaging technique called computed tomography at LEIZA.
He puts the parts of the recording together bit by bit until the words appear – even if there are gaps in the words.
“I invited historians of theology, among others, and we approached the text together, piece by piece, and finally we translated it,” said Professor Scholz.
Apart from the fact that the wearer of the amulet was a devout Christian, what is also unusual is that the inscriptions were written in Latin.
‘Many times amulets were written in Greek or Hebrew,’ added Professor Scholz.
Also, until the 5th century, these kinds of precious amulets always have different beliefs, such as Judaism or pagan influences.
The Roman Empire was the largest empire that existed between 27 BC and AD 476, spanning Europe and North Africa, with Rome as its capital. This map shows the Roman Empire in red (117 AD)
The Latin Scriptures mention the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and Saint Titus, an early Christian missionary and church leader (shown here)
But these experts explain that this charm is ‘true Christian’ because there are no pagan words to describe pagan things such as demons or other aspects of Judaism.
Neither Yahweh, the Almighty God of Judaism, nor the archangels Raphael, Gabriel, Michael or Suriel are mentioned, nor are any of Israel’s patriarchs like Isaac or Jacob.
Finally, the biggest surprise is the location and age of the charm and the man, who clearly considered his Christian faith so important that he took it to the grave.
Such early, authentic evidence (between 230 and 270 AD) of pure Christianity north of the Alps has never existed before.
Scholars consider him to be ‘the first Christian north of the Alps’, although his existence suggests that there may be many undiscovered Christian graves in Europe.
Frankfurt mayor Mike Josef called the document ‘scientific fun’.
“It will force us to take back the history of Christianity in Frankfurt and extend it for about 50 to 100 years,” he said.
‘The first Christian to reach the north of the Alps comes from our city – we can be proud, especially now, close to Christmas.’
Dr Ina Hartwig, head of culture and science in Frankfurt said: “This amazing discovery affects many areas of research and will keep science busy for a long time.
‘This involves archeology as well as religious, philosophical and social studies. Such an important find here in Frankfurt is truly a rare thing.’
