Late Antique Bishop's Palace Discovered in Austria

[kreuz.net] Archaeologists from the Carinthian Museum jointly with the Universities of Klagenfurt and Padua have excavated in the province of Carinthia and uncovered the late classical Bishops castle complex in Virunum. This was reported by news agency 'Catholic press'. The former Roman city is located on the territory of modern Zollfeld north of Klagenfurt. The building complex is over 7,500 cubic meters and includes a double church facility and an episcopal palace. The complex includes over 7,500 square meters. All finds are older than 1,700 years. The city was founded by the Emperor Claudius and the site extends for some 1000 km^2.

Ossuary of the Granddaughter of Caiaphas Found in Israel

New evidence about the man who was connected to the Crucifixion of Jesus

Jerusalem (kath.net/idea) In Israel an approximately 2000 year old bone case (Ossuar) from the surrounding precinct of some of the last high priests in Old Israel has been discovered. It bears the inscription "Miriam Daughter of Jeshua, son of Caiaphas, Priest of Maasiah of the House Imri". According to the Israeli Authority of Antiquities the case is authentic.

Caiaphas held the office of High Priest, which at the time was the highest office a Jew held under Roman occupation, and consequently concerned the Gospel story that Jesus had been crucified by the Romans. That he belonged to the priestly caste of the Maasiah, had not been known until now, said Theology Professor Rainer Riesner (Dortmund) about the idea. With the destruction of the Temple in 70 the time of the priests came to an end.

According to Riesner it shows the mention of the son of Jeshua [Jesus] and the grandaughter Mirjam (Maria) that these names were commonly occurring in that time. For that reason other bone cases with inscriptions bearing the name of Jesus can be brought into connection with Jesus Christ or can even be offered evidence against the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Link to original...kath.net...

Link to photo credit...

Pontifical Commission Reports on Ancient Frescoes in Rome

June 16, 2011. (Romereprots.com) The Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archeology is the Vatican body responsible for the care of ancient cemeteries and other artifacts from the early Christian centuries. They recently unveiled this 3rd century hypogeum, or underground burial chamber, that belonged to the Aurelia family of Rome.


Raffaella Giuliani
Archeologist, Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archeology
“The paintings represent the lives of the Aureli, as we can see from the paintings they were a wealthy family that owned many houses, in the painting we can see the construction of these villas and gardens from imperial Rome. These scenes are inspired by the Homeric poems, in particular by the story of Odysseus.”
For the past 10 years, a team of archeologists has been restoring this hypogeum that dates back to the third century but was only discovered in 1919.
The Vatican and the team of archeologists say the restoration of this underground chamber has given some insights to the Aurelia family and the transition of paganism to Christianity.

Catholic Church Established in China by St. Thomas Apostle

Read the amazing details, here.

H/t: AQ

Turkey: 'Seventh Church' of the Apocalypse is Found

"Church in Laodicea" has been located with underground radar signals -- The structure is in its basic and original state.

Ankara (kath.net/KAP) Archeologists have found the so-called "Seventh Church of Asia" from the biblical testimony of St. John.  Turkish Minister of Culture, Ertugrul Gunay said  for the Turkish press service [Tuesday] upon a visit to the excavation.

The antique city Ladoicea [Laodikeia on Lykos today's Cürüksu Cayi] in the city of Phrygia mentioned in the cryptic Apocalypse at the end of the New Testament mentioned as the place of the seventh Christian church [Apocalyse: 3,14-22]. Each of the seven churches [kath.net says 'communities'] - Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardes, Philadelphia and Laodicea -- thus contains an epistle to the baptized.

According to reports of the dig's director Celal Simsek the Church was located with subterranean radar.  The structure is in its basic and original state.

Minister Gunay spoke after a field inspection of the exciting find.  He announced that he would present further digs in the Summer for the world press.

The city of Laodicea was also the location of the Council of Laodicea in the 4th Century.

Link to the original, kath.net...