Ark for the Cross of the Lord discovered in Turkey

In northern Turkey, in Sinop, on the territory of the ancient church of Bataklar, archaeologists have discovered a massive sarcophagus made of stone, on the lid of which there is an image of a Christian cross. As the researchers suggest, the sarcophagus could serve as an ark - a storage for the Cross, on which the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified, or rather, its surviving fragments.

Church Tradition says that the Cross of the Lord was discovered in Jerusalem in the 4th century AD in the course of works initiated by Queen Helena. Then the authenticity of the sacred relic for Christians was confirmed by the healings that came from it, including the case of the resurrection of the deceased. Later, the Cross of the Lord was transported to Constantinople - so that its particles were transferred to many Christian churches, which was later done. According to scientists, the ark found in Sinope with a high degree of probability could serve as a kind of container for transporting the Cross and, later, for storing its particles.

Excavations on the territory of the ancient Bataklan church have been going on for about ten years. During this time, archaeologists managed to find many ancient artifacts, which have images and inscriptions of Christian content, in particular - a fragment of a medieval altar. Currently, these findings are on display in the Archaeological Museum of Sinop.

Photo: 24smi