Scientists Believe they have Found a Bowl Engraved with what could be the World's First Known Reference to Christ

Teresa Neumann : Oct 8, 2008
Jennifer Viegas - Discovery Channel

"Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria...[then] Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw." -Acts 9:9-13

REPORTER'S NOTE: I found this article especially intriguing because, as a classical history geek, I am currently reading the book, The Rise and Fall of Alexandria, Birthplace of the Modern World, by Justin Pollard and Howard Reid. I can't recommend it yet, because I'm only halfway through the book. (It was an impulse purchase at Costco!) Although so far, the history of Alexandria is absolutely fascinating—Alexander the Great, the Greek philosophers, the Ptolemy's, etc.—I have a sneaking suspicion that when it comes to the Christian history of Alexandria I may get my theological feathers ruffled. Alexandria was built on the utopian dreams and visions of pagans even though Christians later flocked there as well. That said, I hope that's not the case, and I believe that if this newly found cup did indeed belong to a magician, it was one who, like Simon the Magician in Acts, could not deny the divinity and superiority of Jesus Christ. -Teresa Neumann, BCN.

The Discovery Channel has reported that a team of scientists recently announced that they have found a bowl, dating to between the late 2nd century B.C. and the early 1st century A.D., that is engraved with what they believe could be the world's first known reference to Christ. The operative phrase in the preceding sentence is "could be." (Photo: Christoph Gerigk / Franck Goddio/ Hilti Foundation)

The cup was reportedly found during an excavation of the underwater ruins of Alexandria's ancient great harbor which also includes the now submerged island of Antirhodos, where Cleopatra's palace may have been located. The engraving on the bowl reads, "DIA CHRSTOU O GOISTAIS," which, according to the article, was interpreted by the excavation team to mean either, "by Christ the magician" or, "the magician by Christ."

The article, posted on MSNBC, offers a variety of theories about the cup, not necessarily Christian based. For example, French marine archaeologist Franck Goddio and Egyptologist David Fabre think a "magus" could have practiced fortunetelling rituals using the bowl.

"It is very probable that in Alexandria they were aware of the existence of Jesus," said Goddio, and, the report adds, of His associated legendary miracles, such as transforming water into wine, multiplying loaves of bread, conducting miraculous health cures, and the story of the resurrection itself.