Ancient “Jesus is God” mosaic on loan from Israel to US

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News)—Israel has loaned an ancient mosaic to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., until next year, which confirms that the first generations of Christians believed Jesus was God.

Discovered in 2005 by an inmate at a prison in Megiddo in northern Israel’s Jezreel Valley, the 1,800-year-old mosaic features the words ‘The god-loving Akeptous has offered the table to God Jesus Christ as a memorial’ in Greek.

The Megiddo Mosaic is 581 square feet in size and is believed to have been set in a prayer hall in 230 AD, the Mail noted. The mosaic also features images of fish, which experts believe represent a reference to the Biblical account in Luke 9:16 of Jesus feeding a crowd of 5,000 people with two fish. 

In a statement opening the mosaic exhibition in Washington, DC, Museum of the Bible CEO Carlos Campo said: “We truly are among the first people to ever see this, to experience what almost 2,000 years ago was put together by a man named Brutius, the incredible craftsman who laid the flooring here.”

Alegre Savariego, curator of the exhibition, added: “The mosaic presents groundbreaking physical evidence of the practices and beliefs of early Christians, including the first archaeological instance of the phrase, ‘God Jesus Christ.’”

Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.

More Worthy News

Haitians Demand Answers After Gang Massacre Devastates Christian Community
Haitians Demand Answers After Gang Massacre Devastates Christian Community
Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Haitians were demanding answers after hundreds of mourners crowded into a church near the capital for the funeral of four of 47 people killed in one of the country’s deadliest recent gang attacks, which also devastated a Christian community and displaced thousands.

U.S. Launches Fresh Strikes Against Iran Amid Escalating Hormuz Conflict
U.S. Launches Fresh Strikes Against Iran Amid Escalating Hormuz Conflict
Tuesday, September 1, 2026

The United States launched a new wave of strikes against Iranian targets Tuesday as tensions escalated in and around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil-shipping corridors, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Deadly Netherlands Shooting Reportedly Linked To Fugitive Cocaine Kingpin In Africa (Worthy News In-Depth)
Deadly Netherlands Shooting Reportedly Linked To Fugitive Cocaine Kingpin In Africa (Worthy News In-Depth)
Tuesday, September 1, 2026

A man was killed and two police officers wounded early Tuesday in an extraordinary shooting involving heavily armed men in the eastern Netherlands that investigators reportedly suspect was a revenge attack tied to the criminal underworld.

Young Christian Brick Worker Alleges Torture, Bonded Labor In Pakistan (Worthy News Investigation)
Young Christian Brick Worker Alleges Torture, Bonded Labor In Pakistan (Worthy News Investigation)
Tuesday, September 1, 2026

A young Christian brick-kiln worker in Pakistan’s Punjab province says he was beaten, chained, and threatened after protesting low wages and working conditions, while his wife and children were also assaulted in a case raising fresh concerns about bonded labor among impoverished Christians.

Woman Killed In Random Times Square Stabbing; Police Shoot Suspect Dead
Woman Killed In Random Times Square Stabbing; Police Shoot Suspect Dead
Tuesday, September 1, 2026

New York City police say they have shot and killed a female suspect who allegedly stabbed two people in Times Square on Monday, including one woman who died of her injuries.

Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Christians as Dozens Reported Killed, Imprisoned
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Christians as Dozens Reported Killed, Imprisoned
Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Iranian authorities have killed or imprisoned dozens of Christians amid a widening crackdown on the country’s underground church, according to Iran Alive Ministries, a Texas-based Christian ministry with a network inside Iran.

WSJ: Iran-Backed Houthis Forge Dangerous Alliance With al-Shabaab
WSJ: Iran-Backed Houthis Forge Dangerous Alliance With al-Shabaab
Tuesday, September 1, 2026

An emerging alliance between Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels and Somalia’s al-Shabaab terrorists is raising alarms among U.S. and regional officials, according to an exclusive report by The Wall Street Journal.