Archeologists excavating in Austria found a surprising artifact that may indicate and confirm that Moses indeed received the Ten Commandments thousands of years ago. Christian objects are quite rare and are considered sacred which is one of the reasons that this find is incredible.
Perhaps for this reason not only is it a monumental find but one that reveals a lot about the past. The Christian faith is about 2,000 years old so one can imagine how old this artifact actually is. Can you guess what it is?
Digging Up a Treasure Buried
Archeologists dug up inside a church’s marble shrine a historic ivory box. This box is so special because it showcases how Moses receives the Ten Commandments from God but exactly how it is illustrated in the Old Testament. The relic takes its intricate design one step further with the illustration of saints and Christ’s ascension clearly visible.
The discovery is so significant because only about 40 such artifacts such as this have been found globally. The last artifact of this kind was found some 100-odd years ago so finding this one now is not only a big deal but reveals a lot more about the past.
One in a Lifetime Discovery
This type of discovery happens once in a lifetime if at all during an archeologist’s career. The relic was found by researchers from the University of Innsbruck. These researchers were exploring an ancient Church that was once at the peak of Burgbichl located in the Irschen, a municipality in the South of Austria.
The region where the Church was located was originally under the jurisdiction of the Roman Empire. It is speculated that the sanctuary where the relic was found was a pagan one before the emperor’s law of more than 1,600 years.
Such laws were those of ancient times and were ones that only applied to the citizens living there. Those foreigners residing in such communities had no rights under such regulations unless they had a treaty between their home state and Rome.
The Bridge Between Past and Present in a Box
The excavators who uncovered the relic did so in a ditch-like crevis where what is speculated an altar once stood. After the ancient discovery was pulled it was revealed as a white box made of marble
Although the relic was discovered broken to bits once put together with the help of specialists and historical experts it was revealed to have previously formed a circle with metal to replace glue since they didn’t have that when this was made, and wood as a makeshift clasp.
The Holiest of Relics
According to experts, the artifact in question was considered the holiest. In an ideal situation, such an item would have been made sure to have been retrieved before the church was deserted so researchers are questioning what could have happened for the people of the time to leave it among the ashes of what once was.
The box found features depictions of men from the Old Testament. The featured men are depicted with robes and breads that are true to the time. Although there are theories regarding who such men actually are i.e. Moses and Jesus, there is no way to know for sure the inspiration behind the illustrations.
What Does the Ancient Scene Tell Us?
Those who have been studying the ancient box hypothesize that the illustrations could showcase Moses receiving the Ten Commandments from God or Moses parting the Red Sea with his staff. Others speculate something different entirely, perhaps Jesus’s resurrection.
An additional scene illustrated on the ancient box is a figure being pulled up by a hand in which you cannot see the person for the hand is surrounded by clouds. This depiction is often synonymous with indicating the hands of God.
This could signify ascension. A group of horses is also visible pulling a wheel attached to a type of carriage or cart. The Bible references several instances with horses so there is no one answer as to what it could be indicating.
Mysterious Two Horses
When reviewing the bible several sections reference two horses, namely Revelations 19:11 and also in the Book of Exodus. In such a passage the texts many instances refer to such horses so it is challenging to pinpoint for certain which it could be emphasized as there are no distinct indications. It could be that the relic was simply compromised over time not necessarily that the specific element wasn’t there to begin with.
another possibility if researchers were to take an educated guess is another passage that discusses Egyptians riding horses and chariots, but these references don’t stop there. It could truthfully be any number of them so don’t take it at face value.
A Church that Once was Glorious
The church where the ancient box was found was about 60 feet long. The entrance to the religious establishment of the past had an entrance made of marble. The team excavating the area also discovered the remains of several individuals who once resided in the area and speculated that they were of the upper classes.
Despite the box being discovered in Austria those who have examined the box believe that it has to have been made elsewhere for the simple fact that the materials that it was made of were scarce in that specific region.
A Mastery of Artistry
Another indication that the box was not made in Irschen according to researchers is that the level of artistry and craftsmanship skill must have been that of someone living in an urban city hub.
Based on the level of skill and the style of the design, experts believe that it must have been made somewhere between Alexandria, Ravenna or Aquileia. The broken bits of the box suggest it may have been broken before it was placed in the marble where it was discovered in the church. Parts were missing from the discovery so one can only assume that someone tried to remove it even before it was discovered by archeologists.
The Findings of An Ancient Burial Site
The remains found in the church, alongside the rare ancient box, after being examined were that of a teenager, four children, and three adults. They were examined in Vienna by the Natural History Museum. Researchers concluded that they all died at different times.
The professionals studying the findings at the church site concluded that in their expert opinions both the relic and the individuals buried existed during the late antiquity period between the 3rd and 7th century AD. The area of residence is believed to have had an estimated 00 to 300 inhabitants.
