IndiaArchaeologists have deciphered a 1,700-year-old inscription at an ancient Roman temple in Turkey, providing rare evidence of the shift from Mithraism to Christianity during the Roman period. The inscription, found at the underground Temple of Mithras within Zerzevan Castle, was written in Aramaic and marks the first known documentation of a Mithras temple's closure. It includes depictions of a cross and mentions both Mithras and Jesus Christ, suggesting a religious transition. Professor Mehmet Sait Toprak analyzed the text, dating it to the third or fourth century AD, noting that the temple was likely closed and symbolically sealed by Christians following the adoption of Christianity by Roman emperors. This discovery contributes to a series of early Christian findings in modern-day Turkey, including a fifth-century church and a Roman hospital repurposed as a Christian sanctuary.
Bias read (Center): The article presents a historical and academic analysis of an archaeological find, focusing on religious transitions in the Roman Empire. While the subject matter involves religious change, which can be politically sensitive, the framing remains neutral, relying on scholarly interpretation and fact.
