An 1,800-year-old silver amulet discovered buried in a Frankfurt, Germany grave around the neck of the man who wore it, has 18 lines of text written in Latin on just 1.37 inches of silver foil.
The amulet—and the inscription—are the oldest evidence of Christianity found north of the Alps.
Every other link to reliable evidence of Christian life in the northern Alpine area of the Roman Empire is at least 50 years younger, all coming from the fourth century A.D. But the amulet, found in a grave dating between 230 and 270 A.D. It is now known as “The Frankfurt Inscription.”
Ina Hartwig, Frankfurt’s head of culture and science, said in a translated statement, “This applies to archaeology as well as to religious studies, philology, and anthropology. Such a significant find here in Frankfurt is truly something extraordinary.”
The amulet was found in what was once the Roman city of Nida at an archaeological site outside of Frankfurt in 2018.
This past May, a breakthrough came with the help of a state-of-the-art computer.
Here’s what was written on the foil in Latin…
(In the name?) of Saint Titus. Holy, holy, holy! In the name of Jesus Christ, Son of God! The Lord of the World resists with [strength?] all attacks(?)/setbacks(?). The god(?) grants well-being Admission. This rescue device(?) protects the person who surrenders to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, since before Jesus Christ all knees bow: the heavenly ones, the earthly and the underground, and every tongue confess (to Jesus Christ).