Ancient Aramaic Inscription Reveals Early Christians Sealed Roman Mithras Temple
A newly deciphered Aramaic inscription has revealed that early Christians symbolically sealed an underground Roman temple dedicated to the god Mithras around 1,700 years ago. The remarkable discovery provides rare and direct evidence of the religious transformation that swept across the Roman Empire as Christianity replaced traditional pagan beliefs.
The inscription was discovered at the entrance to the underground Mithras Temple inside Zerzevan Castle, a Roman frontier fortress located in southeastern Türkiye. Although archaeologists uncovered the inscription during excavations in 2017, its meaning remained a mystery for years until it was successfully deciphered by Professor Mehmet Sait Toprak, a specialist in Syriac language and literature at Mardin Artuklu University.
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| Professor Mehmet Sait Toprak – Image Credit : AA |
To verify the inscription's age and meaning, researchers compared its letter forms and language with Old Syriac and Aramaic inscriptions from the second and third centuries AD, including examples preserved in the Şanlıurfa Museum. Their analysis confirmed that both the inscription and the carved cross served as symbolic markers announcing the end of the temple's religious function.
The underground sanctuary at Zerzevan Castle is considered one of the best-preserved Mithraic temples ever discovered within a Roman military fortress. Mithraism was a mystery religion centered on the god Mithras and was especially popular among Roman soldiers during the second and third centuries AD. Because its ceremonies were conducted in secret, relatively little is known about the religion compared with other ancient belief systems.
According to excavation director Professor Aytaç Coşkun, the discovery answers one of the biggest questions surrounding Mithraic temples after Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire.
Earlier discoveries, including Roman coins found inside the sanctuary, had suggested when the temple was abandoned. However, the newly deciphered inscription now provides the first direct written evidence explaining that the sanctuary was intentionally sealed rather than simply abandoned.
Researchers believe the inscription reflects a period of major religious change across the empire. As Christianity gained official support from Roman emperors, Mithraism increasingly came to be viewed as a rival faith. Some Mithras temples were converted into Christian churches, while others were permanently closed, as appears to have happened at Zerzevan.
Professor Toprak explained that the inscription makes symbolic references to both the "Invincible Sun God Mithras" and Jesus Christ, illustrating the coexistence—and eventual transition—between the two belief systems during this turbulent period of Roman history.
He noted that the text also refers to the Holy Cross in the name of God, describing a figure who commands, reforms, and spreads love. According to Toprak, this is the first known Old Aramaic inscription documenting the formal closure of a Mithras temple, making it an exceptionally important archaeological discovery.
Excavations at Zerzevan Castle have been ongoing since 2014. Located on a rocky hill near Diyarbakır, the former Roman frontier fortress was added to UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List in 2020 and has become one of southeastern Türkiye's most significant archaeological attractions.
Researchers believe the inscription offers one of the clearest pieces of evidence yet discovered for understanding how religious beliefs changed along Rome's eastern frontier. More than simply recording the closure of a temple, it captures a defining moment in history when one of the Roman world's most mysterious religions gave way to the rapid rise of Christianity.