NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Archaeologists have uncovered a one-of-a-kind artifact<\/a> near the Sea of Galilee that may reveal new details about how early Christians practiced baptism.<\/p>\n The 1,400-year-old artifact was recently found in the ancient city of Hippos, a prominent bishop’s seat during the Byzantine era<\/u><\/a>, according to a March 30 press release shared with Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n The city was once the only Christian city around the Sea of Galilee, controlling territory associated with Jesus’ ministry.<\/p>\n LEGENDARY CAPTAIN WHO INSPIRED ‘THE THREE MUSKETEERS’ MAY HAVE BEEN FOUND UNDER CHURCH ALTAR<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The marble bloc was found in a hall of baptism called a photisterion. It may shed light on “a stage of the early Christian baptismal rite that has until now gone unrecorded,” officials said.<\/p>\n Hippos’ cathedral had two baptismal halls: one for adults, and another for infants and children, which is where the new object was found.<\/p>\n A Byzantine-era discovery at Hippos includes a ceremonial object tied to early Christian worship near the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus preached.<\/span> (Art Media\/Print Collector\/Getty Images; Michael Eisenberg)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The smaller hall was constructed after 591 A.D. and was destroyed by an earthquake<\/a> in 749 A.D. \u2014 meaning the object is roughly 1,400 years old.<\/p>\n COIN USED AS BUS FARE TURNS OUT TO BE 2,000-YEAR-OLD RELIC, ITS JOURNEY STILL A MYSTERY<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Officials described the artifact as “a rectangular block bearing three hemispheric cavities, found beside a baptismal font in a newly revealed ceremonial hall.”<\/p>\n Researchers believe the block may have held three different oils used during a threefold baptismal immersion ceremony.<\/p>\n “The collapse buried the marble and bronze artifacts beneath the rubble, preserving them until their recent discovery.”<\/p>\n <\/p><\/blockquote>\n Pictures of the object show the weathered marble block with three bowl-shaped basins, suggesting it was designed to hold liquids side by side.<\/p>\n Early Christian baptisms more commonly involved two anointings before and after the rite \u2014 which makes the three-part design particularly unusual.<\/p>\n TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n “The collapse buried the marble and bronze artifacts beneath the rubble, preserving them until their recent discovery,” the release noted.<\/p>\n Officials added, “After extensive examination and comparison, the scholars concluded that no known parallels to the artifact exist.”<\/p>\n A marble block with three carved basins found at Hippos may point to a previously unknown step in early Christian baptism rituals.<\/span> (Michael Eisenberg)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Michael Eisenberg, a University of Haifa archaeologist who recently published the results in the journal PEQ, along with <\/i>colleague Arleta Kowalewska, said the object was found among a variety of “remarkable liturgical objects,” including a bronze candelabrum used to hold candles.<\/p>\n “Only after careful research did we realize how unique they are for understanding Christian ritual practices<\/a> in the cradle of Christianity by the Sea of Galilee,” he said.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The object was “nothing special at first glance,” to the excavations, Eisenberg told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n “But here is exactly where the archaeological and liturgical studies came into play.”<\/p>\n The ancient city of Hippos, near regions tied to Jesus’ ministry, served as a major center of early Christian life.<\/span> (Fine Art Images\/Heritage Images via Getty Images; Michael Eisenberg)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n “Realizing that it is a one-of-a-kind artifact that may fill unknown regional and perhaps wider lacunae in one of the most ancient and sacred Christian ceremonies was a complete surprise.”<\/p>\n Eisenberg said the findings may “open a portal” to the development of baptism rituals in the early Christian world.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n “In different regions, distinct liturgical traditions developed, many of which are not documented in written sources,” the archaeologist said.<\/p>\n “This find offers a rare glimpse<\/a> into how the baptismal rite was shaped and practiced in the Byzantine Christian community of Hippos.”<\/p>\n The bronze candelabrum, seen at right, is one of several religious objects uncovered at Hippos, a key Christian site during the Byzantine era.<\/span> (Michael Eisenberg)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The find joins a long list of significant archaeological discoveries found at Hippos in recent years.<\/p>\n Last year, excavators in Hippos found a 1,600-year-old Christian care facility<\/a> for the elderly, which is possibly the world’s oldest nursing home.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Last July, metal detectorists found a trove of ancient jewelry<\/a> and gold coins near ruins in Hippos.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n![\"Split](\"https:\/\/a57.foxnews.com\/static.foxnews.com\/foxnews.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1200\/675\/sea-of-galilee-archaeology-history-discovery-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
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