When Did Christianity Begin to Spread?
Churches are among Biblical archaeology findings that hold the answer
The early church at Laodicea. Photo: Dr. Celal Şimşek/Laodikeia excavation.
How old is Christianity? When did it stop being a Jewish sect and become its own religion? As reported in “Crossing the Holy Land” in the September/October 2011 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, new archaeological discoveries of churches are crucial to helping answer those questions. But when did Christians begin to build these churches? Early Christian gathering places are difficult to identify because at first Christians met together mostly in private homes. Even as Christian populations grew, distrust and persecution by their Roman rulers forced the early church to stay out of the public eye.
The situation changed in 313 A.D. when the emperor Constantine made Christianity a licit religion of the Roman Empire. With this acceptance came the construction of large public buildings, or churches, to serve the worship needs of Christians. Remains of these churches are now turning up in Biblical archaeology findings around the world, helping to answer the questions: How old is Christianity in places like Turkey and Egypt? And when did Christianity begin to spread beyond Israel throughout the Roman Empire?
In early February 2011 the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced some Biblical archaeology findings, including a large Byzantine Church at Horvat Midras southwest of Jerusalem. The structure, which was used as a church in the fifth–seventh centuries, was among many recent archaeology discoveries at the site and was located inside an earlier Jewish compound. The highlight of the basilica is the mosaic carpeting. The colorful geometric patterns and images of fish, peacocks, lions and foxes are rare in both the level of craftsmanship and the state of preservation.
But then disaster struck. Someone attacked these mosaics with a hammer. In the wake of the vandalism, the IAA covered the Biblical archaeology findings, stating that they hoped the mosaics could be mostly preserved, although it will now require significantly more time and money.
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But how old is Christianity’s presence in Turkey? Given the importance of Asia Minor to the apostle Paul and other early followers of Jesus, it should come as no surprise that a church from the fourth century was among the recent archaeology discoveries there. Turkey announced at the end of January 2011 that a large, well-preserved church had been found at Laodicea using ground-penetrating radar. According to the excavation director the church was built during the reign of Constantine (306–337 A.D.) and destroyed by an earthquake in the early seventh century.
Laodicea is mentioned several times in the New Testament, in both Paul’s letter to the Colossians and the Book of Revelation. Paul’s letter suggests that Laodicea had a very early Christian community. A bishop’s seat was located at Laodicea very early on, and it remains a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church today, although the city is uninhabited and the bishop’s seat has been vacant since 1968. In 363–364 A.D., clergy from all over Asia Minor convened at the regional Council of Laodicea. It is possible that the recently discovered church is the very same building where Asia Minor’s clergy met to hold the influential Council of Laodicea.
For more about these and other recent church discoveries, read “Crossing the Holy Land” by Dorothy D. Resig in the September/October 2011 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.
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Related reading in Bible History Daily
Laodicea Columns Reveal the Grandeur of an Early Christian Center
This Bible History Daily article was originally published in October 2011.
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Well, if it weren’t for Constantine, a Pagan Roman ruler, Christianity wouldn’t be as “popular” as it is today. The roman empire ruled most of Europe and around the Mediterranean Sea, and it was in his best interest to make other religions become extinct, so everyone followed Christianity. Its funny how Christian’s think of themselves as so good, but if it weren’t for hundreds of years of forcing Christianity on people who had their own beliefs, their own gods and goddesses, and all the deaths that followed throughout Christian history because of the Kings and Rulers who believed God sanctioned it. Religion is a tough thing to call “Fact”. Christianity came from Judaism. Ancient Egyptian is even older. Hinduism is even older than that. There are some ancient Chinese religions dating back to 5000 BCE. And even Nordic religious followings go back to 9000 BCE. And the Nose had it right, gods from the cosmos…aliens 🙂
“In early February 2011 the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced some Biblical archaeology findings, including a large Byzantine Church at Horvat Midras southwest of Jerusalem. The structure, which was used as a church in the fifth–seventh centuries, was among many new archaeology discoveries at the site and was located inside an earlier Jewish compound.” – You do not have to be a scientist to understand from this paragraph that this was a jewish temple and not a church as Jesus was Hebrew and he preahced mainly in Jewishs temples – Its a no brainer! Christians do not seem to understand that Jesus was not Christian he was a man who came only to the Children of Isreal as stated in the Gospels. We know the Bible does not exist any more and only the Gospels do, which is not Gods word but those that wrote if ie Matthew Like etc. Jesus was not accepted by his people so they eliminated the Bible hence there is no BIBLE in existence which most christian scholars agree. 3 question to the trinity believers:
1. If Jesus was God why did Marry need to give birth to him??? After all God created Adam without a mother or father could he not just appear on the earth as a man. Did he need to come through Marry!
2. If God was actually Jesus does that mean he died on the cross? if so who was mainting the world while he was dead???? It is absurd! God can never be seen as stated in the old testament he has now image, no shape or form. it also says in the new testament that Jesus came to reinforce the law not to bring new laws. if this is so how can the new testament go against the old testament???
3. It states in the new testament that Jesus ate fish, he asked his companians to touch to see he has flesh. I was under the impression God maintained himself, he is the all powerful who needs nothing as stated in the old testament, if this is so why does the new testament state he needs to eat!
These are standard question that anyone would ask about christianity. The gospels contain so many error how can it be the word of God. God does not make mistakes he is the creator! if someone told me this books states 1 and 1 = 5 I would question it as I have common sence. Please dont follow religion blindly. Lastly Christianity was spread through bloodshed through the Roman empire and the Crusaders if you look into its history it is very sad how they killed people to spread so called word of God!
I noticed in the photograph of baptistery that the pool of water where new Christians were immersed is in a structure that is in the shape of a Cross by which Messiah died sacrificially. This is very consistent with the biblical doctrine of substitutionary atonement which mean that Messiah died for the Christians in a substitutionary fashion in like the animal sacrificed in the Jerusalem temple on the Day of Atonement (or Yom Kippur).
“When you were buried with the Messiah in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.” – Col 2:12
“For through the Law (Torah) I died to the Law (Torah) so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with the Messiah.” – Gal 2:19
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“But when did Christianity begin to build these churches? Early Christian gathering places are difficult to identify because at first Christians met together mostly in private homes”
1) Early Christian communities celebrates the breaking of the Bread (Eucharist) in catacombs not “Private homes”.
2) Start to find Catacombs where there’re tables because those tables are used by Peter, Mary, Paul and the Apostles (over and over and over again) to celebrate the same Lord’s last suffer Instituted (Eucharist). Matt. 26:26:28
3) The Foundation of Jesus’s Church is in Matthew 16:18
4) and it’s public ministry started (Birthday) in Pentecost Acts 2:1-13
Mary?
it’s amazing Godly records will always be found no matter how long it takes.
Not sure what was meant by “Christianity began after Our Lord’s death in 4 AD. Pilate was procurator in Jerusalem sometime around 26 AD so I think Jesus died after that. Some say 30 AD, others say 33 AD but surely later than 4 AD.
As for Churches, yes, the Churches founded by Paul seemed to have met in house churches. My guess (stress guess) is that the number of mostly Gentile given community did not start out in large numbers in any one community. Jerusalem seemed to have a pretty large number of Jewish converts to Christianity and their community seemed to adopt the structure of Bishop, Presbyters and Deacons fairly early on. When Agrippa kicked Hellenist Jews (including Jewish Christians) out of Jerusalem, many fled to Antioch in Syria. There is evidence of a fairly large Christian community that developed there and an organized hierarchy followed soon after.
Worship was held at times in catacombs, at other times in house Churches and at other times in public buildings. Much of that depended on time (where persecutions going on in that place at that time) and circumstances (how large or small was the community).
We can learn a lot about early Christianity from Acts and from the writings of early Christians (the Didache, Ignatius the Bishop of Antioch, Clement of Rome, Justin Martyr, etc.) but there is still so much that we don’t know. I hope that Amos is right when he says that Godly records will always find their way to us.
I am a bird
It is sad that there are so many truly messed up people in this world.
I am a Christian. I am a Christian because I believe in the birth, death on the cross and physical resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Tiferet spoken of in Hebrew prophecies. His physical body was home to the wandering Shekinah (or Spirit of God).
Ultimately the only requirement to be a Christian is simple, as Christ Himself put it, “Believe in Me and be baptized for that is the whole of the law. Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.” That’s pretty much it. Everything else is tacked on by man.
The first believers were called Messianics, not Christians. Yeshua is called the Massiah, not Christ. Christ & Christians, & Jesus-are gentile names. The gentiles didn’t come into it until about 20 yr. after Pentacost. Christianity became a religion for the gentiles after they kicked the Messianic Jews out, & took over, & made it theirs.