An ancient Aramaic inscription discovered at a Mithras temple in Zerzevan Castle, Turkey, offers rare written evidence of Christianity's ascendance over a Roman mystery religion. The inscription, dating back approximately 1,700 years, was found at the entrance of the underground temple and includes a depiction of a cross.
The inscription, written in Aramaic—the language spoken by Jesus Christ—mentions both Mithras, a deity central to a mystery cult focused on light and cosmic order, and Jesus Christ. Researchers interpret this as a symbolic representation of the transition from one faith to another. The inscription also contains references to the Holy Cross.
Mithraism was prevalent throughout the Roman Empire during the second and third centuries A.D., and the Zerzevan underground sanctuary is considered one of its most intact temples. The inscription's language and letter forms have allowed scholars, including Mardin Artuklu University professor Mehmet Sait Toprak, to date it to the third or fourth century A.D. by comparing it with other inscriptions from the period.
This deciphered engraving is the first known Aramaic inscription to document the closure of a Mithras temple. Excavation director Aytaç Coşkun noted that while earlier coin discoveries suggested the temple's abandonment around the third or fourth century, the inscription provides direct evidence that it was symbolically sealed by early Christians. Following the embrace of Christianity by Roman emperors in the fourth century, Mithraism was increasingly viewed as a rival religion.
The discovery adds to a growing number of early Christian finds emerging from Asia Minor. In recent years, archaeologists have uncovered remains of fifth-century Christian churches and Roman structures later converted into Christian sanctuaries in other ancient sites.