Women played a crucial role in the early church, and two archeologists recently discovered a mosaic that honors a female church donor.
Kinneret College archaeologist Mordechai Aviam and historian Jacob Ashkenazi uncovered a 5th-century Greek inscription in western Galilee memorializing a female named “Sausann” (or Shoshana) credited for the construction of a village church.
According to the Times of Israel, this “Sausann” is thought to have been a woman of some standing, perhaps following in the footsteps of her presumed namesake, Susannah, who was among the women named in Luke 8:3 who provided for Jesus “out of their resources.”
“Sausann” was named on the mosaic without a spouse or male guardian, a surprise considering the patriarchal culture of the ancient time.
However, according to Catherine Kroeger writing for Christianity Today, the early church contained an inordinate number of women, particularly upper-class women.
Kroeger said, “in the upper echelons of society, women often converted to Christianity while their male relatives remained pagans, lest they lose their senatorial status.”
With a three-year grant from the Israeli Science Foundation, Avaim told the Times of Israel the archaeologists are taking a cross-disciplinary approach to complete a modern study of Christian Galilee in Antiquity.
Aviam and Ashkenazi found seven lengthy 1,600-year-old inscriptions in three Byzantine churches.
For fear of vandals, the exact locations of the inscriptions are not yet public.
About the Author:
Laura Lacey Johnson is a blogger, speaker, and Bible study leader who writes regularly for ChristianHeadlines.com. Subscribe to her updates at www.lauralaceyjohnson.com and follow her on Twitter @thelaurajohnson
Photo courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
Publication date: November 8, 2017
