Plenty of
churches contain relics of saints, but not many of those relics were found in
excavations from sixth-century churches.
Archaeologists
at a medieval fortress site in Burgas, Bulgaria, found a lead vessel, which
contains some of the ashes from the alleged grave of John the Apostle, in a
reliquary that dates to the sixth century C.E. The reliquary, which was once
part of an early Christian basilica, is named for Saint John the Theologian,
who is considered one of Jesus' apostles. The vessel, which is less than an
inch long, is decorated with crosses.
Milen
Nikolov, director of the Burgas Regional Museum of History, said that early
Christians would have believed the relic had healing properties. John the
Apostle's grave in Turkey was also a pilgrimage site for early Christians
seeking healing, Ancient Origins reports. Nikolov said the reliquary was
"one of the most important discoveries" in the museum's history.
In
addition to the relic, the archaeologists also uncovered a 10th century
Bulgarian royal seal at the fortress site.
Source: http://theweek.com/speedreads/546668/archaeologists-think-theyve-found-ashes-st-john-apostle
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