Happy Christmas Eve!
As we approach Christmas, here’s a not unrelated story that helps trace the spread of Christianity from the Middle East into Europe.
Archaeologists have uncovered a groundbreaking artifact in a 3rd-century Roman grave near Frankfurt, Germany, which provides the earliest archaeological evidence of Christianity north of the Alps. The artifact, a silver amulet known as the “Frankfurt Silver Inscription,” dates back to approximately 230-270 CE and predates previously known Christian artifacts from this region by nearly 50 years.
Remember that Jesus was crucified and rose again around 30 A.D., so this is only 200-240 years after that event. That’s less time than the United States has been a country.
The silver amulet was found during a 2017-2018 excavation of a Roman cemetery in the Heilmannstraße area, the site of the ancient Roman city of Nida. The burial ground, which contained 127 graves, was notable for its unusually high proportion of inhumation burials—a practice uncommon in other Roman cemeteries in Frankfurt. Among these graves, one stood out: the resting place of a man aged 35-45 years. Alongside grave goods such as an incense burner and pottery, archaeologists discovered a small rolled silver foil beneath the man’s chin. The amulet, likely worn on a ribbon around the neck, is classified as a phylactery—a container designed to protect the wearer through its contents.
The inscription referred to was on a 1.4 inch-wide wafer-thin rolled silver foil that was kept inside the amulet. Due to its age and condition, it was not possible to unroll it, so the archaeologists used advanced computer tomography technology to digitally unroll it.
Translated into English, the inscription reads:
(In the name?) of Saint Titus.
Holy, holy, holy!
In the name of Jesus Christ, Son of God!
The Lord of the world
resists to the best of his [ability?]
all seizures(?)/setbacks(?).
The god(?) grants well-being
Admission.
This rescue device(?) protects
the person who
surrenders to the will
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
since before Jesus Christ
bend all knees: the heavenly ones,
the earthly and
the subterranean, and every tongue
confess (to Jesus Christ).
The inscription is “purely Christian,” unusual for the time because it refers to no other deity or religion other than Christianity. Titus was a disciple of the Apostle Paul, and at the end of the inscription is a near-literal quotation from Paul’s letter to the Philippians (2:10-11).
Typically, amulets from this era contained a blend of Christian, Jewish, and pagan elements. However, the absence of references to Yahweh, angels, or pagan deities in this inscription underscores its exclusively Christian nature. This uniqueness not only highlights the wearer’s devotion but also raises questions about the role of Christianity in Nida, a city that was once a cultural and administrative hub of Roman Germania.
Up until this discovery, “Historical sources had hinted at Christian communities in Gaul and Upper Germania as early as the late 2nd century, but tangible proof north of the Alps was previously limited to the 4th century.”
We know that Paul got as far west as Rome (it’s where he was martyred under Nero in about 64 AD). He intended to go to Spain (see Romans 15:24) but we have no confirmation that he actually got there. The amulet was found directly north of Rome, across the Alps.
Constantine the Great issued the Edict of Milan made Christian worship legal. This amulet and inscription pre-dates such Roman tolerance, meaning that the man who wore it was courageous and devoted in what could still be a hostile climate.
The history of Christianity (and of Christ, himself) is often filled with controversy. Yet no archaeological find has ever disproved the scriptures. In fact, archaeological discoveries have only confirmed what the Bible claims.
This find is just one of thousands that help us understand the rise and spread of the Christian faith.