We know that Christianity reached Rome in the early years after Jesus’ resurrection. But a discovery near modern-day Frankfurt, Germany, suggests the young faith traveled farther and faster than previously known.
In 2018, German researchers discovered an ancient grave at a site previously called Nida. That Roman city stood where Frankfurt is today. The grave dates from between the years 230 and 270. A human skeleton found there wore an accessory called a phylactery. In Bible times, some Jews wore phylacteries with tiny scrolls of scripture inside them. In other cultures, people believed these relics had magical or ritualistic abilities to offer protection. This phylactery contained a rolled sheet of silver foil.
Researchers at Frankfurt’s Archaeological Museum decided not to unravel the “Frankfurt Silver Inscription.” The delicate material might crumble. They X-rayed it but couldn’t decipher its message. But tomography, a type of 3-D imaging, revealed what was inside.
Goethe University Professor Markus Scholz “consulted experts from the history of theology, among others, and bit by bit we approached the text together and finally deciphered it.”
The amulet (a piece of jewelry like a charm or a locket) reveals several things about the wearer. Most inscriptions like these were written in Greek or Hebrew. This author wrote in Latin, meaning that he was probably well-educated. Even more importantly, the writing shows that he likely followed Christ.
Part of the inscription reads, “Holy, holy, holy! In the name of Jesus Christ, Son of God!” The final paragraph is almost a direct quotation from Philippians 2. While the contents of some amulets from the time mention pagan deities and false religions, this one referenced only Christianity. Frankfurt University’s news release calls it a “purely Christian text.”
The phylactery is the oldest Christian artifact found north of the Alps. It shows that Christianity came to the region much earlier than historians thought. At that time, Christianity was not yet widely accepted. Claiming faith in Christ could even get a person killed—at least, that’s what historians assumed. And yet, the Holy Spirit continued to spread God’s kingdom disciple by disciple.
The writer of the text did include that wearing the amulet would “protect the person who surrenders to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ.” That suggests a melding of pagan ritual with Christian belief, a concept not foreign to the New Testament writers who sought to purify gospel understanding in new churches. But it’s clear that the wearer knew scripture. And that’s a legacy worth remembering.
I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. — Psalm 119:11
Why? The good news of Jesus Christ has been saving people and making disciples in all nations for thousands of years—just as God promised.
