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A late fifth century CE Greek inscription, Christ born of Mary, recently found in the village of et-Taiyiba (Taibe) in the Jezreel Valley. | Tzachi Lang/Israel Antiquities Authority
Archaeologists have discovered an Ancient Greek inscription bearing the phrase “Christ, born of Mary” in northern Israel the first evidence of an early Christian settlement from 1,500 years ago in Taibe, located in the Jezreel Valley.
The Israel Antiquities Authority announced Wednesday that archaeologists discovered the inscription on a wall of a late-Byzantine era structure during excavations in Taibe. According to researchers, the inscription had originally been laid at the entryway of a previously unknown fifth century church.
The First Byzantine Church in Taibe
The blessing originally stood above the entrance of the church but it was discovered in the more modern church walls, so it had been reused as construction material at some time in the past when the building collapsed and was rebuilt. Taibe was a Christian village in the Byzantine period between the 5th to 7th centuries and later became the site of a Crusader fortress. IAA archaeologist Dr. Walid Atrash points out that while archaeologists have explored the Jezreel Valley for many years, most of their findings relate to ancient Christians, but this discovery is “the first evidence of the Byzantine church’s existence in the village of Taibe.”