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Fourth-Century Christian Residential Building Unearthed in Bahrain

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Archaeologists in the Middle Eastern country of Bahrain have unearthed an ancient residence built by the ‘long-lost’ Nestorian Church – a Christian community that thrived in the area from the 4th Century AD until Islam spread and took root 300 years later, Crosswalk reports.

The discovery of the structure came during an excavation launched in 2019 by the Authority for Culture and Antiquities under Dr. Salman Al Mahari in Bahrain and Professor Timothy Insoll from the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at Exeter University in the United Kingdom.

Researchers were digging at the Samahij cemetery, where they found remnants of the ancient Christian residential building hidden beneath the ruins of a 300-year-old mosque hidden beneath the ground. The residence included a kitchen, dining room, workshop, and three living spaces.

“The findings suggest the building may have been the residence of the diocese bishop, which included Samahij,” a Bahraini government media team said in a statement.

“Records also indicate a connection between the region and central church authorities, with one bishop dismissed in 410 CE and another condemned for challenging church unity in the mid-seventh century.”

“We stress the importance of this site and the need to preserve it, highlighting its historical and archaeological value,” Professor Insoll said in a separate statement. “We were amused to find someone had drawn part of a face on a pearl shell using bitumen, possibly for a child who lived in the building,” the professor continued.

“This is the first physical evidence of the Nestorian Church in Bahrain, providing a fascinating insight into how people lived, worked, and worshipped.”