Hidden Christian Structure Discovered After 1,600 Years Complicates What We Thought We Knew About the Religion

A group of archaeologists found a Christian structure that had been hidden for 1,600 years. This structure is interesting because it completely challenges our previously held beliefs regarding religion. 

The surviving rooms include a kitchen, a rectory/dining room, a work room, and three living rooms. Archaeologists were able to explore these rooms further to determine what they were used for and whether anything of importance was left in them. 

The structure, dating from the 4th Century, gives archaeologists a deeper insight into what religion used to look like in the area. Most importantly, it completely changes what they previously thought this looked like.

The research was a collaborative project between the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter and the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities. Professor Tim Insoll, leader of the project from Exeter, said: “This is the first physical evidence found of the Nestorian Church in Bahrain and gives a fascinating insight into how people lived, worked, and worshipped.”

What the archaeologists found most surprising was that the structure could stand the test of time. The main reason for its preservation was a mosque built directly on top of it. 

Insoll said: “The implications are significant as we have documentary evidence referring to the Christian community in Bahrain but lacked any material proof for it until this building was excavated.”

Dr. Salman Al Mahari said the excavation team initially thought the site dated back to the sixth and eighth centuries AD. However, with radiocarbon dating, the team found that the building dates back to the fourth century.

It was founded by Thomas the Apostle in the 1st Century CE and had a strong presence in the area until its conversion to Islam. 

This led to the building’s abandonment, as the mass conversion meant the Church was no longer needed. The Church now provides a much-needed link to Bahrain’s religious history.

Historical records suggest that the relationship between Meshmahig and the central church authorities wasn’t a good one. It was also reported that a bishop was excommunicated in 410, with the same fate happening to another bishop in the mid-7th century for challenging the unity of the Church.

Within the building were three crosses made of plaster, and two of these had been placed on the exterior part of the building. It is believed the third was kept as a personal memento by a resident. Other findings include wall paintings carved into plaster, a fish symbol, and the Chi Rho symbol. 

The structure had sockets and holes where doors and benches were installed. There were also stone walls that were plastered on the inside, along with plaster flooring. The kitchen contained several hearths made from the bases or tops of amphorae-like storage vessels.

The archaeologists also discovered some textiles that would have been used during religious rituals. These findings help them gain a deeper understanding of the building’s purpose and to uncover previously unknown information. 

Food was in good supply, with the remains of fish, shellfish, and a variety of crops left over in the building. There was also pork present in the structure, showing that these occupants were Christian, as eating pork was prohibited after Islamic conversion.

These findings were also limited to a few churches, monasteries and dwellings. However, this church was found in the heart of a modern and heavily populated town, making it stand out from other discoveries.

The pottery is thought to be of Indian origin, suggesting that the people inside the building were involved in trade, especially with India.

Some of the artefacts left over indicate the occupants created textiles for worship. The archaeologists found old spindle whorls and copper needles in the structure. 

Professor Insoll said: “We were amused to find someone had also drawn part of a face on a pearl shell in bitumen, perhaps for a child who lived in the building.”

Before this, there was only documentary evidence of this life having been there, but the physical evidence was lacking. The local Muslim community had said there was a mound under their cemetery, but no one had listened to them until now.

Insoll said: “[The discovery] fills a gap in our understanding of wider Christianity in the Persian Gulf as it was always surprising that Bahrain, considering its historical importance in late antiquity and the early Islamic period, never had any archaeological indications of this.”

There was never any concrete proof of that until now, despite there being ample evidence of thriving societies in ancient Kuwait and what is now the United Arab Emirates. However, these places were not as historically relevant during this period as Bahrain.

Building the mosque meant that the rooms and artifacts underneath it were preserved until now.

The museum is set to open in 2025.

It only shows that you can spend most of your life believing one thing about an area, but when archaeological evidence forces you to start thinking another way, it proves that life wasn’t always what we thought it was.