Megiddo church (Israel)
| Megiddo church | |
|---|---|
Megiddo prison from the top of Tel Megiddo. The church is located on the prison grounds. | |
| Location | Tel Megiddo |
| Country | Israel |
| Denomination | Early Christianity |
| History | |
| Status | Inactive |
| Founded | 230 |
| Relics held | Mosaics |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Ruins |
| Style | House church |
| Completed | ~3rd century |
| Demolished | unknown |
Megiddo church is an archaeological site near Tel Megiddo, Israel that preserves the foundations of one of the oldest Christian church buildings ever discovered by archaeologists. The ruins contain one of the oldest inscriptions referring to the divinity of Jesus.
The church was dated to circa 230 AD on the basis of pottery, coins, and the inscriptional style. The site's abandonment, circa 305 AD, is evident in the purposeful covering of the mosaic, which may correlate to the Diocletianic Persecution.