Israeli archaeologists say a 4th-century church found at Banias National Park could mark the site of one of Jesus’ most powerful miracles — and may even be the oldest church in Israel.
Where myth meets stone: an ancient temple unearthed
In the lush greenery of Israel’s Golan Heights, buried beneath layers of Roman and Byzantine history, a team of archaeologists has uncovered what may be one of the most significant Christian sites ever found in the region.
The dig, led by Professor Adi Erlich from the University of Haifa, uncovered the ruins of a 4th-century church believed to have been built directly atop a much older Greek temple. The site, nestled in Banias — formerly known as Caesarea Philippi — may be where, according to the Bible, Jesus healed a woman suffering from chronic bleeding.
The timing of the discovery, coinciding with a growing number of religious archaeological finds across Israel, is reigniting conversation around how early Christianity established its physical roots across the region.
The miracle of the bleeding woman — immortalized in stone?
The Gospel of Mark tells of a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. She quietly approached Jesus, touched his robe, and “immediately her bleeding stopped.” It is one of the most emotionally resonant stories in the New Testament, symbolizing faith, healing, and divine compassion.
Erlich believes this story may have left more than just a spiritual imprint. Her team discovered a set of floor tiles inlaid with crosses — likely installed by early Christian pilgrims who believed they were walking the very ground where the miracle took place.
“These tiles,” Erlich said, “are part of a mosaic floor laid by pilgrims who came here as early as 400 A.D. They believed this was the spot where something extraordinary happened.”
Layers of belief: from Pan to Peter
The location itself is multilayered in more ways than one.
Before it was Christian, the site served as a pagan temple dedicated to the Greek god Pan, dating to the 3rd century B.C. An altar with a Greek inscription identifying it as a Pan worship site was found at the base of the dig.
This transition — from a place of pagan worship to a shrine honoring Jesus — is typical of how Christianity spread across the Roman world. Rather than demolishing the past, early Christians often built atop it, symbolically and physically claiming old religious sites.
| Period | Use of Site | Key Artifact Found |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd Century B.C. | Shrine to Pan | Greek-inscribed altar |
| 4th Century A.D. | Christian pilgrimage site | Cross-inlaid tiles and carved stones |
| 5th Century A.D. | Early church construction | Likely converted Roman structure |
Erlich and her team say this repurposing of the site may also connect it to another New Testament moment — the scene where Jesus reveals himself as the Messiah to Peter and tells him to “spread the word.”
Possibly the oldest church in Israel
If confirmed, this would make the Banias site not only sacred but historically monumental. Erlich’s team believes the church dates back to around 320 A.D., which would place it at the very dawn of Christianity’s institutional presence in the Holy Land.
“This may well be the oldest church in Israel,” Erlich told The Times of Israel. “It reflects a moment when Christianity was becoming an established religion, but still retained strong connections to individual miracles and local memory.”
The excavation has revealed:
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Multiple carved stone crosses, a rare feature for churches of this age
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Tile work suggesting organized pilgrimage activity
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Structural remnants indicating intentional repurposing of pagan temples
These findings offer a look into how Christian communities in the 4th and 5th centuries sought to ground their faith in real places — sites that linked heaven to earth.
A miracle? Maybe not — but still a revelation
Of course, archaeologists can’t definitively say that Jesus stood on these stones or that a woman was healed there. What they can say is that by the 4th century, early Christians believed it was the place — and they marked it with reverence.
“This is what makes archaeology in the Holy Land so powerful,” said Dr. Miriam Ganz, an independent religious historian. “Even when we can’t confirm the events themselves, we can confirm that people centuries ago believed in them so deeply, they built their sacred spaces around them.”
A string of recent discoveries
The Banias find is just the latest in a string of high-profile Christian archaeological discoveries in Israel. Last year, a church was unearthed near the Sea of Galilee, thought to be where Jesus first called Peter to follow him.
Together, these discoveries are prompting renewed interest in what is sometimes called the “sacred geography” of the Gospels — the idea that specific locations can serve as living extensions of Biblical stories.
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority, which helped oversee the excavation, says the site will eventually be opened to the public, pending preservation work.
For now, what remains is a haunting mixture of stone, silence, and faith — a window into a past where history and scripture are woven tightly together.
