Monarchian Church At Megiddo—Early Third Century

Archeology Establishes Monarchianism as the Original Christian Orthodoxy (Monarchian Church At Megiddo—Early Third Century)

Excerpted From the Author's Book entitled "Godhead Theology"

Mosaic on the floor of the third century Christian Chruch at Megiddo, Israel. The use of fish instead of the cross as the Christian symbol, the mosaic design, along with pottery ramnants, dates the site to the early 3rd century.

November 6th, 2005 the Associated Press reported on the discovery of a third century Christian church unearthed in Northern Israel in a town called Megiddo. As a construction crew was excavating for an addition to the Megiddo prison, workers uncovered a large tile floor with beautiful mosaics intact. A number of inlaid inscriptions were found in the tile. Further excavating discovered the walls of the church within a Roman compound. This may very well be the earliest church building found in the world, but surely in Palestine. The early date of the first half of the third century (A.D. 200-250) is established by the pottery remnants found there and the style of the Greek writing in the mosaics. Plus, the beautiful fish mosaic that is the centerpiece of one of the two tile floors predate the use of the cross as the major Christian symbol; so, the fish (instead of the cross) symbol indicates an early date, indeed. Also, the “table” (mentioned in one of the inlaid mosaic inscriptions) as a memorial, instead of an altar, likewise speaks of a very early Christian custom.

The Inscription reads: “Akeptous, the God-loving, offered this table for the God, Himself, Jesus Christ, as a remembrance.”

   This discovery is important to Christianity in a number of ways. Most importantly, however, is the inscription dedicating  the “table” as a tribute to Jesus, “Akeptous, the God-loving, offered this table for the God Jesus Christ, as a remembrance.” This inscription (calling Jesus God) discredits all who deny that Jesus was worshipped as God before the Council of Nicæa (A.D. 325, 4th century). Skeptics often claim that the Christian doctrine of the deity of Jesus was not “invented” until that time. Now, the discovery of an early (A.D. 200-250) third century church in Megiddo, Israel whose worshippers worshipped Jesus as “the God” discredits that claim. One should observe, further, that the “table” was dedicated to but one God (whom the worshippers recognized as Jesus), and not to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; as would have been expected if the worshippers were Trinitarians. Nor was the dedication to the Father, or the Son of God, which would have allowed the congregates to have been Subordinationists. All the evidence points to this being a Monarchian church.

Along with the style of Greek writing used in the inscriptions, ancient geometric patterns in the mosaics and the depiction of fish, rather than the cross, indicate that the church predates the fourth century, The church’s location, not far from the spot where the New Testament says the final battle between good and evil will take place (Armageddon), also makes sense since a Christian bishop was active in the area at the time, and a church located on this spot would have been very logical.

Megiddo would have most likely been under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Jerusalem or Caesarea Maritima. According to the Apostolic Constitutions the first Bishop of Caesarea was Zacchaeus the Publican, followed by Cornelius (possibly Cornelius the Centurion) and Theophilus (possibly the addressee of the Gospel of Luke). The first bishops considered historic-ally attested are those mentioned by the early church historian Eusebius of Caesarea, himself a bishop of the see in the 4th century. He speaks of a Theophilus who was bishop in the 10th year of Commodus (c. 189), of a Theoctistus (216–258), a short-lived Domnus and a Theotecnus, and an Agapius (?–306). Among the participants in the Synod of Ancyra in 314 was a bishop of Caesarea named Agricolaus.

So, according to the historical lists of bishops the bishop of Jerusalem during the first half of the third century was Alexander, and of Caesarea was Theotistus. The church in Megiddo was in the jurisdiction of one, or both of these bishops. This brings an interesting situation into view. This was the time period of Origen. Some of his reputed teachings, such as the pre-existence of souls, the final reconciliation of all creatures, including, perhaps, even, the devil (apocatastasis), and the subordination of the Son of God to God the Father, later became controversial among Christian theologians. According to Origen, the mediator between God and the world, through whom the world was made, is the Logos (Fisher). Here, we see Platonic, Alexandria Jewish thought. Origen believed that the Logos was personal and without beginning. Yet in Origen’s idea, the Father is the fountainhead of deity. The Father, moreover, is God as He is, in and of Himself; the Father is “God” with the article affixed to the term.  Origen taught that Jesus was “another substance or essence” from the Father. In one place Origen calls Jesus “the most ancient of all creatures.”

 Fisher makes the observation that Origen was “solicitous to fend off the monarchian inference of the identity of the Father with the Son.” That Origen was received by both bishops Alexander of Jerusalem and Theotistus of Caesarea (in fact Origen spent considerable time under the jurisdiction of these two bishops) during the first half of the third century is interesting, in that the Megiddo Church is surely a Monarchian congregation that recognized Jesus as “the God Himself.”


Peace to your houses;
☩ Mar David Ignatius