{"id":88160,"date":"2024-10-21T07:00:29","date_gmt":"2024-10-21T11:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/?p=88160"},"modified":"2025-10-15T13:22:03","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T17:22:03","slug":"armenias-oldest-church-discovered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/archaeology-today\/armenias-oldest-church-discovered\/","title":{"rendered":"Armenia\u2019s Oldest Church Discovered"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"attachment_88162\" style=\"width: 410px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/archaeology-today\/armenias-oldest-church-discovered\/attachment\/a-preliminary-reconstruction-shows-the-late-antique-church-of-artaxata-courtesy-armenian-german-artaxata-project\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-88162\"><img decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-88162\" class=\"wp-image-88162 lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2024\/10\/A-preliminary-reconstruction-shows-the-late-antique-church-of-Artaxata.-Courtesy-Armenian-German-Artaxata-Project-300x169.jpg.avif\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2024\/10\/A-preliminary-reconstruction-shows-the-late-antique-church-of-Artaxata.-Courtesy-Armenian-German-Artaxata-Project-300x169.jpg.avif 300w, https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2024\/10\/A-preliminary-reconstruction-shows-the-late-antique-church-of-Artaxata.-Courtesy-Armenian-German-Artaxata-Project-1024x576.jpg.avif 1024w, https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2024\/10\/A-preliminary-reconstruction-shows-the-late-antique-church-of-Artaxata.-Courtesy-Armenian-German-Artaxata-Project-768x432.jpg.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2024\/10\/A-preliminary-reconstruction-shows-the-late-antique-church-of-Artaxata.-Courtesy-Armenian-German-Artaxata-Project-350x197.jpg.avif 350w, https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2024\/10\/A-preliminary-reconstruction-shows-the-late-antique-church-of-Artaxata.-Courtesy-Armenian-German-Artaxata-Project.jpg.avif 1200w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 400px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 400\/225;\" data-original-sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" data-smush-avif-fallback=\"{&quot;data-src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/A-preliminary-reconstruction-shows-the-late-antique-church-of-Artaxata.-Courtesy-Armenian-German-Artaxata-Project-300x169.jpg&quot;,&quot;data-srcset&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/A-preliminary-reconstruction-shows-the-late-antique-church-of-Artaxata.-Courtesy-Armenian-German-Artaxata-Project-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/A-preliminary-reconstruction-shows-the-late-antique-church-of-Artaxata.-Courtesy-Armenian-German-Artaxata-Project-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/A-preliminary-reconstruction-shows-the-late-antique-church-of-Artaxata.-Courtesy-Armenian-German-Artaxata-Project-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/A-preliminary-reconstruction-shows-the-late-antique-church-of-Artaxata.-Courtesy-Armenian-German-Artaxata-Project-350x197.jpg 350w, https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/A-preliminary-reconstruction-shows-the-late-antique-church-of-Artaxata.-Courtesy-Armenian-German-Artaxata-Project.jpg 1200w&quot;}\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-88162\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A preliminary reconstruction shows the late antique church of Artaxata. <em>Courtesy Armenian-German Artaxata Project. <\/em><\/p><\/div>\n<p>Excavators with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uni-muenster.de\/news\/view.php?cmdid=14322\" target=\"_blank\">University of M\u00fcnster<\/a> and the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia have uncovered the oldest church ever discovered in Armenia. Consisting of an octagonal building with cruciform extensions, the church serves as a physical reminder that Armenia was the first ancient kingdom to officially adopt Christianity in 301 CE.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n\n\t\t<div id=\"mailing_list_ebook_page\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class='gravity_form_mailing_list'>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"downloadFormSec esolshortwrap\">\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-3 col-sm-3 mb-4 mb-md-0\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img data-src='https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/smush-avif\/2015\/07\/who-was-jesus-ebook-cover.jpg.avif' class='esolsetnewimg smush-dimensions lazyload' width='200' style='--smush-image-width: 200px; --smush-image-aspect-ratio: 200\/259;' src='data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==' data-smush-avif-fallback='{&quot;data-src&quot;:&quot;https:\\\/\\\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/07\\\/who-was-jesus-ebook-cover.jpg&quot;}'>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-9 col-sm-9\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-sm-12\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>FREE ebook, <strong>Who Was Jesus? Exploring the History of Jesus\u2019 Life<\/strong>. Examine fundamental questions about Jesus of Nazareth.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\nvar gform;gform||(document.addEventListener(\"gform_main_scripts_loaded\",function(){gform.scriptsLoaded=!0}),document.addEventListener(\"gform\/theme\/scripts_loaded\",function(){gform.themeScriptsLoaded=!0}),window.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){gform.domLoaded=!0}),gform={domLoaded:!1,scriptsLoaded:!1,themeScriptsLoaded:!1,isFormEditor:()=>\"function\"==typeof InitializeEditor,callIfLoaded:function(o){return!(!gform.domLoaded||!gform.scriptsLoaded||!gform.themeScriptsLoaded&&!gform.isFormEditor()||(gform.isFormEditor()&&console.warn(\"The use of gform.initializeOnLoaded() is deprecated in the form editor context and will be removed in Gravity Forms 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*\/\n<\/script>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t<!-- download link -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div id=\"eBook_download_link\" name=\"eBook_download_link\">\n\n\t\t\t<button onclick=\"location.href='https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/who_was_jesus_ebook.pdf'\">DOWNLOAD EBOOK<\/button>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<hr \/>\n<h4>Armenia\u2019s Ancient Church<\/h4>\n<p>The church was discovered at the site of <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Artaxata\">Artaxata<\/a>, the ancient capital city of Armenia. With its cruciform structure, the church closely corresponds to early Christian memorial buildings, meaning that it was likely dedicated to the memory of a saint whose identity remains unknown. Around 100 feet in diameter, the building consisted of a simple mortar floor covered in terracotta tiles. However, marble throughout the church\u2014likely brought from the Mediterranean\u2014indicates that it was lavishly decorated. The remains of wooden platforms discovered in the cruciform extensions were radiocarbon dated to the mid-fourth century, only a few decades after Armenia converted to Christianity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe fourth century building is the oldest archaeologically documented church in the country\u2014sensational evidence for early Christianity in Armenia,\u201d remarked Achim Lichtenberger of the University of M\u00fcnster. \u201cOctagonal churches were unknown here until now, but we are very familiar with them from the eastern Mediterranean region, where they first appeared in the fourth century,\u201d added Mkrtich H. Zardaryan of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia.<\/p>\n<p>According to legend, Armenia became the first Christian kingdom when <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gregory_the_Illuminator#Christianization_of_Armenia\" target=\"_blank\">Gregory the Illuminator converted the Armenian king Tiridates III<\/a> in 301 CE, over a decade before <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/ancient-rome\/paganism-under-constantine\/\">Emperor Constantine<\/a> issued the Edict of Milan, which legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4 style=\"margin-bottom:1em;\">Related reading in<em>\u00a0Bible History Daily<\/em><\/h4>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"xHRD8oZW7R\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/uncategorized\/a-byzantine-church-on-the-temple-mount\/\">A Byzantine Church on the Temple Mount?<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;A Byzantine Church on the Temple Mount?&#8221; &#8212; Biblical Archaeology Society\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/uncategorized\/a-byzantine-church-on-the-temple-mount\/embed\/#?secret=5C5lkN5vPu#?secret=xHRD8oZW7R\" data-secret=\"xHRD8oZW7R\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"OVo69w8mzL\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/byzantine-church-to-glorious-martyr\/\">Byzantine Church Dedicated to \u201cGlorious Martyr\u201d Discovered Near Jerusalem<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Byzantine Church Dedicated to \u201cGlorious Martyr\u201d Discovered Near Jerusalem&#8221; &#8212; Biblical Archaeology Society\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/byzantine-church-to-glorious-martyr\/embed\/#?secret=cFZWKFCiMC#?secret=OVo69w8mzL\" data-secret=\"OVo69w8mzL\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"PKeliAtCC7\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/biblical-sites-places\/biblical-archaeology-sites\/church-of-laodicea-in-the-bible-and-archaeology\/\">The Church of Laodicea in the Bible and Archaeology<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;The Church of Laodicea in the Bible and Archaeology&#8221; &#8212; Biblical Archaeology Society\" src=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/biblical-sites-places\/biblical-archaeology-sites\/church-of-laodicea-in-the-bible-and-archaeology\/embed\/#?secret=tlCGIc5N8A#?secret=PKeliAtCC7\" data-secret=\"PKeliAtCC7\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"margin:2em 0;\">All-Access members, read more in the\u00a0<em>BAS Library<\/em><\/h4>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"79ND1FEc1A\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/library.biblicalarchaeology.org\/article\/the-nea-church\/\">The Nea Church<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;The Nea Church&#8221; &#8212; The BAS Library\" src=\"https:\/\/library.biblicalarchaeology.org\/article\/the-nea-church\/embed\/#?secret=ijL8JUZmJC#?secret=79ND1FEc1A\" data-secret=\"79ND1FEc1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"wrUSBs4gBm\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/library.biblicalarchaeology.org\/article\/ancient-churches-in-the-holy-land\/\">Ancient Churches in the Holy Land<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Ancient Churches in the Holy Land&#8221; &#8212; The BAS Library\" src=\"https:\/\/library.biblicalarchaeology.org\/article\/ancient-churches-in-the-holy-land\/embed\/#?secret=JBX4spOZW5#?secret=wrUSBs4gBm\" data-secret=\"wrUSBs4gBm\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"53Ht8kyDgu\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/library.biblicalarchaeology.org\/article\/church-of-the-apostles-found-on-mt-zion\/\">Church of the Apostles Found on Mt. Zion<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;Church of the Apostles Found on Mt. Zion&#8221; &#8212; The BAS Library\" src=\"https:\/\/library.biblicalarchaeology.org\/article\/church-of-the-apostles-found-on-mt-zion\/embed\/#?secret=5vxSR3eEt5#?secret=53Ht8kyDgu\" data-secret=\"53Ht8kyDgu\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"margin:2em 0;\">\n<p><strong>Not a <em>BAS<\/em> Library or All-Access Member yet? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/subscribe-new\/?utm_term=W26009B0\">Join today.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Excavators with the University of M\u00fcnster and the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia have uncovered the oldest church ever discovered in Armenia. Consisting of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":88162,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[367],"tags":[23329,23328,21690,17366],"class_list":["post-88160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archaeology-today","tag-ancient-church","tag-armenia","tag-christianity","tag-constantine"],"acf":[],"nelio_content":{"autoShareEndMode":"never","automationSources":{"useCustomSentences":false,"customSentences":[]},"efiAlt":"","efiUrl":"","followers":[55],"highlights":[],"isAutoShareEnabled":true,"networkImageIds":[],"permalinkQueryArgs":[],"series":[],"suggestedReferences":[]},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Armenia\u2019s Oldest Church Discovered - 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