Just before the holidays, German archaeologists “digitally unwrapped” an 1,800-year-old silver amulet to decipher an inscription said to be the oldest known evidence of Christianity in Europe.

Authentic evidence of Christianity north of the Alps has never existed before. And the findings have the potential to change “sacred history” forever.

“It will force us to go back the history of Christianity to Frankfurt and much further by about 50 to 100 years”said Michael Josef, mayor of Frankfurt, Germany, where the artifact was exhumed.

Archaeologisches Museum Frankfurt

“The first Christian find north of the Alps comes from our city,” added Joseph. “We can be proud of that, especially now, so close to Christmas.” The talisman contained a thin sheet of silver measuring 1.4 inches inscribed with text referred to as the “Frankfurt Silver Inscription.”

It was found under the chin of a man’s skeleton in a burial site on the outskirts of Frankfurt in 2018. However, the ancient text, which dates to between 230 and 270 AD — when Europe was dominated by paganism — was virtually illegible until now.

Specialists from the Leibniz Center for Archeology (LEIZA) used a computed tomography (CT) scanner to decode the 18-line engraving, which declares Jesus Christ the “Son of God”.

The Frankfurt silver inscription.
Archaeologisches Museum Frankfurt

“In the name of Saint Titus. Holy, holy, holy! In the name of Jesus Christ, Son of God! The Lord of the world resists with (powers) all attacks (or setbacks). God gives the entrance to prosperity. May this means of salvation protect the man who surrenders to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, since before Jesus Christ everyone bows his knee: those in heaven, those on earth and those under the earth, and every language confesses (Jesus Christ)”, says the translation, according to the DailyMail.

To crack the code on the silver Frankfurt inscription, which is written in Latin, LEIZA experts used sophisticated technologies on the ultra-thin cylinder.

Researchers have used CT scans to 'digitally unroll' the foil and read the inscription for the first time since the 3rd century AD

“The challenge in the analysis was that the silver foil was wrapped, but after about 1,800 years, it naturally crumpled and was pressed,” said Ivan Calandra, an archaeologist at LEIZA. “Using CT, we were able to scan it at very high resolution and create a 3D model.”

Archaeologists reportedly placed individual sections of the scan together, piece by piece, until most of the words were visible.

However, there are said to be some gaps in the text – which has been called “purely Christian” as it features Jesus Christ and Saint Titus, a missionary of the church, but avoids pagan themes as well as elements of Judaism.

The Frankfurt silver inscription.
Archaeologisches Museum Frankfurt

Professor Markus Scholz, an archaeologist from Goethe University in Frankfurt, led the decipherment efforts.

“I called in experts from the history of theology, among others, and we approached the text together, piece by piece, and finally deciphered it,” said Soltz, who was surprised that the engravings were in Latin.

“Such inscriptions on amulets were usually written in Greek or Hebrew,” he noted.

And while little is known about the man buried with the amulet, scientists reportedly believe he was a devout Christian – although Christians were still subject to persecution at the time of his death.

He probably wore the amulet on a cord around his neck for protection before he passed into the afterlife. His tomb also had a censer and a jug made of baked clay.

A scientist in a lab.
Archaeologisches Museum Frankfurt

The researchers speak of the “first Christian north of the Alps” and speculate that there could be more Christian burial sites across Europe that have yet to be discovered.

“This extraordinary find affects many areas of research and will keep science busy for a long time to come,” said Ina Hartwig, Frankfurt’s head of culture and science.

“This (find) affects archeology as well as religious studies, philology and anthropology,” he continued. “Such an important find here in Frankfurt is truly extraordinary.”

The remains of the man whose grave held the amulet.
Archaeologisches Museum Frankfurt