This Drawing on an Ancient Church Wall May Be the Oldest Depiction of the Virgin Mary

Suzette Gutierrez-Cachila : Apr 27, 2017
Gospel Herald

The oldest Christian church was actually a house church, just like those described in the New Testament.

[Gospel Herald] Archaeologists may have identified the oldest depiction of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The drawing was found on a wall of what is considered as the oldest Christian church, which lies in the city of Dura-Europos in Syria. (Photo: Yale University Art Gallery/public domain/via Gospel Herald)

This wall painting is believed to be a depiction of the Virgin Mary when she received the announcement from the angel Gabriel.

Archaeologists may have identified the oldest depiction of Mary, the mother of Jesus.

Today, the area is occupied by the terror group ISIS, raising fears that the church could be destroyed already. Fortunately, Yale University was able to extract some walls of the church long before ISIS took hold of the area, and these, along with the drawing of the woman, are now displayed at the Yale University Art Gallery, according to Aleteia.

The oldest Christian church was actually a house church, just like those described in the New Testament. Before Constantine declared that Christians should be allowed to worship freely, churches met in houses. The ancient church, for example, was a small house where at most 60 people could fit and meet for worship.

According to Vatican Insider, the house's top floor was private, while the ground floor was where the Christians gathered together. The walls of the house church gave clues as to its function, with frescoes depicting the Good Shepherd and scenes like Jesus and Peter walking on water.

On a wall of this house church, archaeologists found the drawing of a woman holding a pitcher and standing near a well. For many years, experts believed the drawing depicted the Samaritan woman who talked to Jesus near Jacob's well, which is described in the...

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