Parshall Partners

History Matters

         It’s fascinating when archeology discovers something that substantiates the validity of God’s word. Let me give you some examples.

         A person using a metal detector has found a “very rare” ancient coin in Norway. According to Norwegian officials, the coin is believed to have once belonged to an early monarch. The coin is called “histamenon nomisma” and was first introduced around 960 A.D. and was used as Byzantine currency, an empire more than 1600 miles away from Norway. A news release describes the coin as “largely unchanged from when it was lost, perhaps a thousand years ago.”

         The capital of the Byzantine Empire, also called the Eastern Roman Empire, was Constantinople. Today, that city is Istanbul. The coin is decorated on both sides, with one side showing an illustration of Christ holding a Bible. The other side is illustrated with Byzantine emperors Basil II and Constantine VIII, two brothers who co-ruled near the end of the 9^th century. Officials say the coin was probably minted between 977 and 1025 A.D.

         The coin has written inscriptions, one (written in Latin by the stamp of Christ) says, "Jesus Christ, King of those who reign." The other, written in Greek on the other side, says, "Basil and Constantine, emperors of the Romans.”

         Officials have speculated on how the coin could have traveled so far from its point of origin. One explanation is that it once belonged to Harald Hardråde, a Norwegian king who ruled from 1046 to 1066 A.D., after previously serving as a guard for the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople. Officials said, "At that time, it was customary for the guards to be given the right to loot the palace and take all the valuables they could find when the emperor died. During Harald's time in Byzantium, three emperors had died.” King Harald could have acquired the gold coin in Constantinople and taken it back with him to Norway. 

         Regardless of how the coin traveled, it does affirm the existence of the Byzantine Empire, the accuracy of the brothers who co-ruled, and that Jesus was identified as King of Kings almost a thousand years after His resurrection.

         In an ancient cave in the Middle East, a carving was found on a wall that depicts a drawing of the crucifixion of Christ, dated somewhere between the 1^st and 2^nd centuries. The drawing was meant as a mockery as the Romans would often portray Jesus as a donkey, as was done in the carving, as a way of demeaning Christians. But this ‘mockery’ provides more evidence of the Gospel as it reminds us that Jesus did exist, that he was crucified on the cross and that Christians believed that Jesus was God. The Greek inscription on the wall carving contains the name of the mocked Christian and translates to “Alexamonos worships God.”

         From a cave drawing from the 1^st century to a gold coin from the 10^th century, the evidence to believe the Good News is all around us—all we need to do is look.

         Those are my thoughts. I’m Janet Parshall.