In the city of Ribach, located in Jordan near the border with Syria, there are about thirty ancient Christian churches erected in the name of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 2008, the fame of the town boomed throughout the world.
It was in the town of Ribach, under the ruins of the Church of St. George, the construction of which dates back to 230 CE, that archaeological enthusiasts discovered a cave temple. Steps carved into the wall lead to the church. A staircase leads to an oval room, where, apparently, the first Christians prayed.
Cave temple
The director of the Ribah center for archaeological research Abdul Kader Al-Hassan, who led the expedition, said that the religious building, conditionally referred to as the Cave Temple, was erected more than two millennia ago, during the time when the first Christians were persecuted and had to secretly hide in order to profess their faith. This continued until Christianity was proclaimed the official religion in the Roman Empire.
Christian ceremonies were sent to the cave church, since when examining its premises, a round altar (apse) was found and around it seats carved from stone. In the church of St. George, which was built over the cave church much later, inside the vault are carved the words about “seventy beloved disciples of the Son of God”, it is obvious that this inscription was made in memory of the martyrs of the faith who were persecuted for their faith - this is the opinion of researchers cave church. During the excavation, iron crosses were also discovered, which testify to the adherents of Christianity.
