2,200-year-old site found in Turkey may confirm chapters of the Bible
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Ancient tombs and artefacts have been found in Turkey which provide more evidence of Colossae — a city which is mentioned in St Paul’s letters in the Bible. The ruins, which were found in the Southwestern Turkey’s Denizli province, unearthed 60 tombs estimated to be around 2,200 years old in the site’s first-ever excavations. The graves were carved side by side into a travertine rock near Honaz in Denizli province, and still contain skeletal remains. (Picture: Sebahatdin Zeyrek/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The findings were reported by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency on October 6, and shed new light on a city known from the New Testament as home of a Christian community addressed by St Paul in his Epistle to the Colossians. The Daily Mail reports that in his letter St Paul emphasises that Jesus is supreme over all things, and that believers are complete in Him, freed from spiritual powers and legalistic rituals. The letter itself spans 95 verses across four chapters. (Picture: Sebahatdin Zeyrek/Anadolu via Getty Images)
St Paul also warns the Colossians against false teachings, and he urges the population to live as new creations, setting their minds on things above and embodying love, kindness and forgiveness. Archeologists believe the newly discovered necropolis may be the largest of its kind in Anatolia, with the tombs measuring roughly 1.8 meters in length and up to 1.5 meters in depth. (Picture: Sebahatdin Zeyrek/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Lead archaeologist Dr Baris Yener said: ‘After removing the surface soil, we uncovered about 65 tombs, of which we excavated 60. We found skeletal fragments and valuable data that will help us understand the burial practices of Colossae’s ancient inhabitants. They chose a travertine rock area for burials to save arable land for farming.’ (Picture: Sebahatdin Zeyrek/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The tombs contained an array of artefacts, which shed light into the spiritual and cultural life of Colossae before the arrival of Christianity. The researchers found terracotta ceramics, glass bottles and oil lamps, as well as coins, sandals, and personal belongings of the deceased. The researchers say that each detail helps piece together the community’s view of death, faith, and the continuation of life beyond the grave. (Picture: Sebahatdin Zeyrek/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Dr Yener said: ‘The findings show that people in Colossae placed great importance on amulets, talismans, and healing stones. These items reveal their desire to protect themselves spiritually, and how daily religious practices were intertwined with funerary rituals.’ The find demonstrates that the community’s spiritual desire for protection and the deep connection between funerary rituals were intertwined with everyday religious practices. (Picture: Sebahatdin Zeyrek/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Mail reports that before his death, St Paul wrote a letter to the Colossians, found in Colossians 1:1, to refute a heresy that threatened the church by diminishing the supremacy of Christ. The spiritual findings have suggested the people of Colossae practiced rich spiritual and religious traditions long before St Paul wrote his letter. Dr Yener said: ‘These pre-Christian practices provide essential context for understanding the religious environment in which the early Christian community emerged.’ (Picture: Sebahatdin Zeyrek/Anadolu via Getty Images)
