Ancient inscriptions discovered in Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus, have shed light on a previously unknown period of early Christianity's expansion across the Roman Empire. Etched into stone at the entrance to a Mithras temple in southeastern Turkey, the texts mention both Jesus Christ and Mithras, a deity central to an all-male religion popular among Roman soldiers and merchants.
Researchers report that the inscriptions date to approximately 1,700 years ago, around the 4th century AD, and record the temple's symbolic closure by early Christians. The underground temple, located at Zerzevan Castle, remains remarkably well-preserved. It contains features of the Mithraic cult, including four sacrificial hangers, a basin for collecting bull blood, and three wall niches used in secret ceremonies. The temple itself was carved into the rock and features a large central niche with a carved bull sacrifice scene. Paint residue is still visible on some columns, and a crown beam motif, a symbol of Mithras, is carved on the eastern wall. A bull blood bowl and a pool connected by a channel, along with ceiling points for hanging animals, indicate the rituals performed there.
The inscriptions were uncovered during excavations at the ancient military settlement, which began in 2017. Professor Mehmet Sait Toprak, head of the Syriac Language and Literature Department at Mardin Artuklu University, recently deciphered the inscriptions. His analysis of the letter shapes, language, and historical context led him to conclude that the writing is consistent with Old Syriac and Aramaic from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD.
The texts refer to the "Invincible Sun God Mithras," a Persian deity of light, contracts, and war adopted by the Roman Empire. Mithraism, with its origins in Persia, involved rituals that included the symbolic birth of Mithras from rock and ceremonial bull sacrifices. Water also played a role in the cult's religious ceremonies.
As Christianity gained prominence across the Roman Empire, particularly after emperors embraced the faith in the 4th century, Mithraism was increasingly viewed as a rival. This led to the abandonment or conversion of many Mithraic temples. The discovery at Zerzevan Castle includes a carved cross, which researchers believe signifies the temple's formal closure by Christians. The inscriptions also reference the Holy Cross and describe God as a bringer of order, renewal, and love, further supporting the conclusion that early Christians transformed the sanctuary.
The temple at Zerzevan Castle was approximately 1,900 years old at the time of its initial discovery. The recent deciphering of the inscriptions provides a more detailed understanding of the transition between these two belief systems and the eventual Christian takeover of pagan sites in the region.