By STACY LIBERATORE – Dailymail.com
The earliest inscription declaring Jesus as God, uncovered in Israel, has revealed more secrets about early Christian history.
The 1,800-year-old mosaic, discovered by an inmate of the Megiddo prison in 2005, features the ancient Greek writing: ‘The god-loving Akeptous has offered the table to God Jesus Christ as a memorial.’
Together, there are several Greek inscriptions on the mosaic, with one naming the Roman centurion Gaianus, who researchers believe was an army officer who helped fund or support the 203 AD worship site where the mosaic was found.
Researchers continue to analyze the mosaic, saying in a recent study that the presence of a Roman centurion suggests Christianity had spread into the ranks of the Roman military far earlier than many historians once believed.
The Roman Empire officially adopted Christianity as its state religion on February 27, 380 AD. Centurions were respected officers who commanded dozens of soldiers, meaning Gaianus would have held both authority and influence within Roman society.
Researchers said his involvement challenges long-held assumptions that early Christians were primarily poor or marginalized outsiders during this period.
Instead, the inscription suggested individuals connected to the Roman establishment were already supporting Christian worship by the early third century.
That discovery offered rare physical evidence that belief in Jesus had reached powerful circles within the Roman world decades before Christianity became legal across the empire.
The Megiddo Mosaic (pictured) was unearthed during the expansion of a high-security prison in Israel. The mosaic had an inscription at the top (pictured) that said: ‘The god-loving Akeptous has offered the table to God Jesus Christ as a memorial’
The mosaic was the floor of an early Christian worship hall, often described as one of the earliest known church floors, though it was likely a house-church–style worship space and not a later formal basilica.
The floor has been hidden under the prison since it was discovered in 2005, but has now been lent to the Museum of the Bible in Washington DC.
The inscription naming the Roman officer states: ‘Gaianus, also called Porphyrius, centurion, our brother, has made the mosaic at his own expense as an act of generosity.’
The team also found a nearby Roman camp, providing more support for the peace between the two groups.
‘Gaianus is a Latin name, but his colloquial name, Porphyrius, is Greek. This could indicate that he came from one of the eastern provinces,’ according to the Museum of the Bible.
‘The fact that he did not use his full Roman name may also indicate that Gaianus dedicated this mosaic in a personal, rather than an official, capacity.
‘While “brother” is the common way Christians have always referred to each other, it is not certain that Gaianus was a Christian.
Professor Christopher Rollston with the George Washington University said in a recent study that ‘Gaianus also called Porphyrius’ resembles the language used in the New Testament to describe the apostle Paul.