Ancient Ethiopian Church Discovered, Reveals More About Early Spread of Christianity

Will Maule : Jan 3, 2020
Faithwire.com

...The empire "remained defiantly Christian even as Islam spread across the region..."

[Faithwire.com] A team of archeologists have discovered a 1700-year-old church in Ethiopia which they believe sheds some light on the spread of the Christian faith. (Image: At an archaeological site in Ethiopia, researchers are uncovering the oldest Christian basilica in sub-Saharan Africa /Ioana Dumitru /via Smithsonian Magazine)

The stunning Roman-style basilica, which dates back to the fourth century AD, was found in the ancient town of Beta Samati; an area once part of the Aksumite civilization.

The oldest known church in Sub-Saharan Africa, the structure was likely adopted by local Christians during the time of Constantine and reveals long-kept secrets about the origins of Christianity in the region.

"The find suggests that the new religion spread quickly through long-distance trading networks that linked the Mediterranean via the Red Sea with Africa and South Asia, shedding fresh light on a significant era about which historians know little," reads a report from the Smithsonian Magazine... Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

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