BULGARIA —
A team of researchers believe a knuckle bone found buried beneath a Bulgarian church may belong to John the Baptist, the New Testament prophet who heralded the ministry of Jesus.
The archaeologists from Oxford University were surprised that the bones dated from the first century AD, the time of John’s life, and the DNA was consistent with a person of Near East heritage. Scientists cautioned that although the bones discovered in a marble sarcophagus on the remote Black Sea island Sveti Ivan, Bulgarian for John the Baptist, bare intriguing similarities to those belonging to the biblical martyr it is impossible to conclusively prove they are John’s remains.
“We were surprised when the radiocarbon dating produced this very early age. We had suspected that the bones may have been more recent than this, perhaps from the third or fourth centuries. However, the result from the metacarpal hand bone is clearly consistent with someone who lived in the early first century AD,” said Oxford archaeologist Thomas Higham in a statement.
“Whether that person is John the Baptist is a question that we cannot yet definitely answer and probably never will,” he said.
When first excavating the site two years ago, Bulgarian researchers discovered alongside the sarcophagus another small box made from volcanic ash and bearing an ancient Greek inscription referencing John and his feast day as well as a personal prayer asking God to “help your servant Thomas.”
Researchers believe Thomas may have been the person assigned to transport the relic to the island. They believe the box came from Cappadocia, a region of modern day Turkey. Bulgarian scientists believe the bones themselves may have come from the ancient city of Antioch, where a relic of John’s right hand is believed to have been kept until the tenth century.
There is some historical evidence, researchers say, to support a theory that John’s bones were removed from Jerusalem and brought to Constantinople, called Istanbul today, then the capital of the Roman Empire in a box resembling the sarcophagus found on Sveti Ivan.
John the Baptist, venerated as a saint in many Christian denominations, was a New Testament Jewish prophet whom Christians believe heralded the ministry of his relative Jesus. According to the Bible he was martyred by decapitation on the orders of King Herod.
Religion
Bones of John The Baptist possibly discovered
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By Fr. Jonathan Filkins, PASTOR
St. Barnabas Anglican Church in PicayuneWith all of the stories in the Bible, it is very easy to lose the focus of the very real places, which are catalogued there. Given the regular succession of “passion plays,” re-enactments and folklore telling’s, our vision of the reality of today’s Holy Land and the message of Christ may be a bit skewed.
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Movies on Canal begins March 9
The Church at Picayune is hosting a free community event called “Movies on Canal”, on the second Saturday of each month, beginning Saturday March 9, 2012.
A family friendly movie will be projected onto the side of the building at 120 West Canal St in Picayune. Bring a lawn chair and the entire family and enjoy fun-jumps, pop-corn, food, and lots of entertainment at Movies On Canal. -
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In the spring of 2009, Pope Benedict XVI stopped in Aquila, Italy, to pray at the shrine of St. Celestine V.
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Pope Benedict VXI resigning
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“Without doubt this is a historic moment,” said Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, a protege and former theology student of Benedict’s who is considered a papal contender. “Right now, 1.2 billion Catholics the world over are holding their breath.” -
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January was a big month for me. It actually started in December and seeped over into February. I spent a few weeks helping to care for my father who was very ill, in fact near death from the combined effects of lung cancer, radiation of the brain, and chemotherapy. I officiated the funerals of a close family friend, my father, and my father’s sister.
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Through life, no matter where we are, we face times that leave us with just a handful of understanding and a trunk full of confusion. Circumstances leave us standing in the road, not sure which way to turn.
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Last call, ya’ll!
This is The final call for articles and photos for
this year’s Pearl River County Today “Progress” edition. all churches and religious organizations can email their articles and photos to…
picayuneitem@bellsouth.net. -
Getting to know the enemy is vital
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