The ruins of the oldest Christian church in the Middle East, and probably the whole world, were discovered few days ago in the Megiddo prison area, a Channel 2 report revealed Saturday.
Tens of prisoners at the high-security prison where 1,200 security prisoners are held helped in the archeological digs that led archeologist to the exceptional discovery.
The Israel Prison Services approached the government for a construction permit in the Megiddo area where it had planned to expand the prison by few new compounds yet the Israel Antiquities Authority demanded the government uphold constructions, paving the way for archeological digs in the area.
The Megiddo area is known as a rich terrain for archeological findings from different historical ages.
The prison services allowed archeologists draft prisoners to their digs where a number of coins and crockery have been found since February.
Two weeks ago diggers discovered what seems to be an architectural structure which was later identified as the remains of a church. Archeologists identified a spectacular mosaic floor and the foundations of a building dating back to the third or fourth century CE.
There are older ones but they have been destroyed.
James the just was bishop over the church in Jerusalem-many say this was the first-he was Jesus' half brother btw.
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