Jesus' cross fragment unearthed in Turkey

Image credit: Baptiste Marcel

Archaeologists in Turkey have discovered a relic that was originally hailed as a piece of Jesus' cross. It was found inside a stone chest located within the 1,350-year-old Balatlar Church in Turkey's Sinop Province. While it isn't clear whether the artifact is actually a piece of the cross Jesus was crucified on, the people who originally placed it within the box would have believed that it was.

 "This stone chest is very important to us," said excavation team leader Gülgün Köroğlu. "It has a history and is the most important artifact we have unearthed so far." According to historical texts, Jesus' cross was discovered in Jerusalem by St. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, who distributed the pieces to church leaders across the region. Several have been reportedly discovered over the years however the authenticity of such claims remains in doubt.



So many have turned up in fact that 16th century theologian John Calvin famously joked that if all the pieces were to be assembled in one place they would represent "a big shipload". Turkish archaeologists say they have found a stone chest in a 1,350-year-old church that appears to contain a relic venerated as a piece of Jesus' cross.

source and credit a unexplained-mysteries