Silver amulet discovered in Germany could rewrite Christian history in Europe

A small silver amulet discovered by German archaeologists may change our understanding of how Christianity spread during the Roman Empire. This tiny artifact, about 3.6 centimeters long, was unearthed in 2018 from a 3rd-century Roman tomb outside Frankfurt.

Archaeologists found it at the jaw of a male skeleton in a cemetery of the Roman city of Nida, one of the largest and most important sites in Hesse, central Germany. Other artifacts, such as incense burners and pottery, were also found in the tomb. This amulet, also known as a reliquary, was likely tied around the deceased's neck with a ribbon to provide spiritual protection.

The thin silver foil inside the amulet is very fragile, and it would likely crumble if researchers tried to unfold it. However, microscopic examination and X-ray scans conducted in 2019 revealed that it was inscribed with text. It took five years for the research team at the Archaeological Museum in Frankfurt to find a way to decipher the text. This May, researchers at the Leibniz Center for Archaeology (LEIZA) in Mainz made a breakthrough using a CT scanner to analyze the silver foil.

Ivan Karandella, head of the LEIZA imaging laboratory, explained the process at a press conference: "The challenge in the analysis was that the silver sheet was rolled up, but after about 1800 years, it also had creases and indentations. With the CT scan, we were able to scan it at a very high resolution and create a 3D model." It was through this process of digitally unfolding the silver sheet that the entire text became visible and could be deciphered. The researchers were stunned by their findings.

The silver foil is inscribed with 18 lines of Latin, repeatedly mentioning Jesus and Saint Titus, a disciple and confidant of Saint Paul. Since the tomb where the amulet was found dates back to between 230 and 270 AD, the amulet becomes the earliest evidence of Christianity in the European region north of the Alps. According to the statement, all previous findings were at least 50 years later. At the time of burial, Christianity was becoming an increasingly popular sect, but openly admitting to being a Christian was still risky. Apparently, the deceased, believed to be between 35 and 45 years old, was very firm in his faith and even took it to the grave.

Marcus Scholz, an archaeologist and Latin inscription expert at Goethe University in Frankfurt, carefully deciphered the text, which is known as the "Frankfurt Silver Inscription." He described the complex process in a statement: "Sometimes I needed weeks or even months to come up with the next idea." He also said, "I brought in experts in theological history and other fields, and we worked together bit by bit, eventually deciphering the text." He stated that the fact that the text was written entirely in Latin was very unexpected. "This was unusual for that period. Usually, the inscriptions on amulets were written in Greek or Hebrew."

Translated into English, the text reads: "(In the name of Saint Titus?) In the name of Jesus Christ, Son of God! Resist (as much as possible?) all attacks (?)/setbacks (?). God (?) grants blessings. This means of salvation (?) protects those who submit to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, because before Jesus Christ all knees bow to Jesus Christ: those in heaven, on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confesses (Jesus Christ)." The text makes no mention of other faiths besides Christianity, which was also unusual at the time.

According to the Archaeological Museum in Frankfurt, reliable evidence of Christian life in the northern Alpine region of the Roman Empire only dates back to the 4th century AD. Wolfram Kinzig, a church historian and professor at the University of Bonn, helped Scholz decipher the inscription. In an interview published on the University of Bonn website, Kinzig explained: "The silver inscription is one of the oldest pieces of evidence we have for the spread of the New Testament in Roman Germania, because it quotes Philippians 2:10-11 in Latin translation." He also stated: "It is a striking example of how biblical quotations were used in magic intended to protect the dead."

Peter Heather, a professor of medieval history at King's College London with a special interest in the evolution of Christianity, described the discovery as "a wonderful find." Heather said in an interview with CNN: "The ability to decipher the text on that rolled-up piece of silver is extraordinary. It's only possible with modern technology. If they had found it 100 years ago, they wouldn't have known what it was. A silver amulet might contain some kind of magical scroll, but you wouldn't know what it was - it could be from any religion." He added: "In the heart of the empire, you have evidence of Christian communities, but not in a border town like Roman Germany, so this is very unusual, or rather unique. You are pushing the history of Christianity in that region forward."