Most Important Israeli Find of the Century—Coming to the Ark Encounter!

In AD 230, Christianity was technically an illegal religion in the Roman Empire. Severus Alexander sat on the throne as emperor, rising to power at age 13 after his grandmother had her older grandson, Emperor Elagabalus, assassinated. Despite this bloody takeover, Severus was favorable toward Christians, and persecution during his reign was light compared to previous centuries.

Sometime during his reign, a room hosting a communion table to be used by officers of the Roman Legio VI Ferrata was built south of Tel Megiddo in northern Israel. The floor of that room was constructed as a beautiful mosaic, featuring several inscriptions—one of which read, “Akeptous, the friend of God, has offered the table to God Jesus Christ (for) remembrance.”

Within decades, the building was abandoned and dismantled, but an unknown someone took time to cover the mosaic with pottery shards and wall plaster, preserving it until now.

This floor mosaic, featuring the earliest known extra-biblical reference (outside of manuscripts) to Jesus as God, has been called “one of the most important discoveries made in Israel this century.” And—here’s the exciting announcement—it’s coming to the Ark Encounter in 2027!

Yes, as part of our planned expansions at the Ark Encounter, we’re bringing the Megiddo Mosaic to the Ark. It will be a tremendous evangelistic addition to our coming first-century Jerusalem model! The renovations necessary to display this exhibit will allow us a space for more rotating exhibits like this, bringing even more people to the Ark Encounter to hear the message of the truth and authority of God’s Word and the gospel.

You can help us bring this fascinating millennia-old archaeological find to the Ark Encounter (along with other exciting expansions at the Ark and Creation Museum) by contributing to our end-of-year campaign—there are only two days left to have your gift matched dollar for dollar, up to $10 million.

There are only two days left to have your gift matched dollar for dollar, up to $10 million.

Part of the money raised will be used to construct a new space inside the Answers Center lobby that can be used for such special exhibits (the Answers Center gift shop is being moved to the new Welcome Center when it opens in 2026).

I encourage you to partner with us by taking advantage of this matching-gift offer before midnight tomorrow night. Thank you for your partnership with us in spreading the gospel!

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.