Ancient tombs and artefacts have been present in Turkey which give more evidence of Colossae — a city which is mentioned in St Paul’s letters within the Bible. The ruins, which were present in the Southwestern Turkey’s Denizli province, unearthed 60 tombs estimated to be around 2,200 years old in the location’s first-ever excavations. The graves were carved side by side right into a travertine rock near Honaz in Denizli province, and still contain skeletal stays. (Picture: Sebahatdin Zeyrek/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The findings were reported by Turkey’s state-run Anadolu Agency on October 6, and shed recent light on a city known from the Recent Testament as home of a Christian community addressed by St Paul in his Epistle to the Colossians. The Day by day Mail reports that in his letter St Paul emphasises that Jesus is supreme over all things, and that believers are complete in Him, free of spiritual powers and legalistic rituals. The letter itself spans 95 verses across 4 chapters. (Picture: Sebahatdin Zeyrek/Anadolu via Getty Images)
St Paul also warns the Colossians against false teachings, and he urges the population to live as recent creations, setting their minds on things above and embodying love, kindness and forgiveness. Archeologists consider the newly discovered necropolis stands out as the largest of its kind in Anatolia, with the tombs measuring roughly 1.8 meters in length and as much as 1.5 meters in depth. (Picture: Sebahatdin Zeyrek/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Lead archaeologist Dr Baris Yener said: ‘After removing the surface soil, we uncovered about 65 tombs, of which we excavated 60. We found skeletal fragments and useful data that may help us understand the burial practices of Colossae’s ancient inhabitants. They selected a travertine rock area for burials to save lots of arable land for farming.’ (Picture: Sebahatdin Zeyrek/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The tombs contained an array of artefacts, which shed light into the spiritual and cultural lifetime of Colossae before the arrival of Christianity. The researchers found terracotta ceramics, glass bottles and oil lamps, in addition to coins, sandals, and private belongings of the deceased. The researchers say that every detail helps piece together the community’s view of death, faith, and the continuation of life beyond the grave. (Picture: Sebahatdin Zeyrek/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Dr Yener said: ‘The findings show that folks in Colossae placed great importance on amulets, talismans, and healing stones. These things reveal their desire to guard themselves spiritually, and the way day by day religious practices were intertwined with funerary rituals.’ The find demonstrates that the community’s spiritual desire for defense and the deep connection between funerary rituals were intertwined with on a regular basis religious practices. (Picture: Sebahatdin Zeyrek/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Mail reports that before his death, St Paul wrote a letter to the Colossians, present in Colossians 1:1, to refute a heresy that threatened the church by diminishing the supremacy of Christ. The spiritual findings have suggested the people of Colossae practiced wealthy spiritual and spiritual traditions long before St Paul wrote his letter. Dr Yener said: ‘These pre-Christian practices provide essential context for understanding the religious environment during which the early Christian community emerged.’ (Picture: Sebahatdin Zeyrek/Anadolu via Getty Images)
News Updates
Stay on top of the headlines with day by day email updates.
