Tuesday, November 01, 2011

Byzantine-era Christian prayer box discovered in Jerusalem

A miniature Christian prayer box decorated with a cross has been uncovered in archaeological excavations in Jerusalem. The box, which dates to the Byzantine period (sixth-seventh centuries CE), is adorned on the inside with the drawings of two figures (icons) surrounded by a background lined with gold leaf, and it seems that the artifact was used as a personal prayer relic.

The box is 2.2 cm long by 1.6 cm wide and is made of a bone taken from a large animal (steer, camel or horse). The box slides open. When doing so it includes two flat parts, each of which bears a colored drawing.

Click here to read this article from Medievalists.net