"'We suggest that the cups of the stone held oil, possibly three different types of oils, which may correlate with a local tradition of three-phase anointing during that baptismal rite.'"
"'Only after careful research did we realize how unique they are for understanding Christian ritual practices in the cradle of Christianity by the Sea of Galilee.'"
"'Baptismal rites involved threefold immersions, and anointing was often made before and after the immersion, although the details of the rite were constantly changing.'"
Archaeologists excavating a cathedral in Hippos, Israel, found a unique marble artefact with three hemispheric cavities, suggesting a three-phase anointing during baptisms. Traditionally, two oils are used, but this discovery indicates a lost stage in early Christian baptismal rites. The artefact, dating back 1,300 years, is believed to hold evidence of a local tradition involving three different oils. This finding could prompt historians to reevaluate the history and practices surrounding baptism in early Christianity, particularly in the context of the Sea of Galilee.
Read at Mail Online
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]