**Shocking Discovery Underground in Israel: Evidence of Jesus’s First Followers**
In Megiddo – the land associated with the Bible’s prophecy of the final battle between good and evil – archaeologists have unearthed a mystery that had been buried for nearly 1,800 years: a stunning ancient mosaic beneath the cracked stone floor of a modern prison. Rather than gold or jewels, what was found was a message – a silent but powerful confession – to “Jesus Christ”.
This is more than just art. It is a declaration: Jesus is not just a man, but God. The mosaic was discovered in a humble worship space, possibly a home – where the first believers gathered in secret, prayed and worshipped, risking their lives for their faith.
They did not seek legitimacy from the government, did not need a large church or elaborate rituals. All it takes is faith – and a willingness to carve it in stone.
What’s more, more than 60 prisoners were mobilized to help excavate for four years, working with experts to bring back to life one of the oldest Christian worship sites ever discovered.
The centerpiece of the mosaic is a Greek inscription: *“God-loving Akeptous has dedicated this altar to God Jesus Christ as a memorial.”* A simple yet powerful declaration – affirming Jesus’ divinity from 230 AD, nearly a century before the Council of Nicaea – which many believe was when Jesus was “elevated” to God.
In addition to the text, the mosaic features an image of a fish – a silent symbol of early Christianity. The fish (ichthys in Greek) is an abbreviation for “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.”
When calling oneself a follower of Jesus could still lead to imprisonment or death, such images were a secret sign that helped believers identify one another – “I am his. You are not alone.”
The fact that the fish was carved into the floor of the church rather than simply painted on shows the boldness and conviction of this community. They did not just survive – they lived in faith. For them, Jesus was not just a teacher or a prophet, but God, the giver of the bread of life, life itself.
All the details – the fish symbol, the Eucharistic table, the inscription – connect to a consistent story: the first believers saw Jesus as the Messiah, and they affirmed it not in words, but in stone, in faith, and in courage.
In our modern age, when faith is so easily blurred between comfort and skepticism, this discovery stands as a reminder: Sincere faith has a way of surviving.
The stones of Megiddo have waited nearly two millennia to speak again—not to tell a myth, but to confirm a truth: Jesus was worshiped as God when Christianity was a whisper in the dark.
