During
excavations near the Palestinian town of Ramallah archaeologists have
discovered a greatest Christian relic – the burial place of Holy Archdeacon
Stephen, the First Martyr for Christ, reports the Linga news portal.
Research
in the Kharaba at Taiar village, which lies two kilometers west of Ramallah,
carried out by the Palestinian and Israeli researchers have yielded unexpected
results. Within the framework of a project by the University of Jerusalem for
the discovery and restoration of antiquities, a group of archaeologists led by
Dr. Salah al Hudeliyya has discovered ruins of an entire church complex that
includes a temple of the Byzantine-Umayyad era as well as a Byzantine
monastery.
According
to a statement by Dr. al Hudeliyya, this find is of great value for Christians
worldwide.
“Inside
one of these churches we came across an inscription which indicates that this
church had been built in honor of Holy Apostle and Archdeacon Stephen the
Protomartyr, buried here in 35 AD,” the historian related.
The
researcher has assured the local and Church authorities, whose representatives
recently visited the newly discovered ruins, that the university, as before,
will put all its resources and energy into implementation of the current
project.
“There
are five years left, and then the necessary research will be completed and this
monument will be ready; it will surely become a pilgrimage site for believers
from all over the world. Tourists will take advantage of the opportunity as
well, because this site is a living example of continuity of the cultures of
the Middle East region: here on the same site we can see the heritage of
antiquity, early and late middle ages, Hellenistic, Byzantine, and Islamic
cultures,” the archaeologist said in conclusion.
One fourth
of the Kharaba at Taiar village belongs to the Church of Jerusalem, which the
expert believes will make this settlement a suitable place for pilgrims.
Source: http://theorthodoxchurch.info/blog/news/burial-place-of-holy-archdeacon-stephen-the-protomartyr-discovered/
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