St. Sergius Church - site of oldest altar

Marsarkis.com ^

[NYer]

About our church here in Maaloula, it must be built before 325 A.D. for three reasons:

Infact, the main and first proof is this altar inside made of marble; it has a border semi-circular which is a pagan architecture. Pagans used such borders in their altars to forbid the blood of sacrifices to go on the ground, so they used to make a hole in the middle to drain it properly; they used also to sculpt  or design on this border some illustrations of animals to be sacrified. The Church used this architecture at the beginning before it had its own, but with two important differences: christian altars don’t have a  hole for blood neither the designs of animals on the border. So our altar here could never be pagan but it was always made by christians with an external pagan form. Now, in 313 A.D. with Costantine the Great,  the church began to think how to have its own ecclesiastical architecture to make more difference between pagans and christians, that’s why the first Council of Nicea (today Iznik in Turkey), gathered in 325 A.D., decided not to build anymore altars with a pagan architecture but flat altars. This is the main proof that the church existed before this decision, before 325 A.D.

N.B. Just to know that the triangular small hole is not the hole for blood as many people think, but this is the place where christians used to put the relics which consacrate the altar for prayer, and it’s triangular as a symbol of the Holy Trinity.

A second proof is the bishop Eutichius who took part in this Ecumenical Council of Nicea, his name is mentioned as the bishop of st. Sergius in Maaloula.

The third proof is the wood inside the walls; a piece of it was tested in Germany by the radioactive carbon forteen C¹⁴, it’s about 2000 years old. This technic was used to hold well the stones in the wall especially during the earthquakes.

Beyond all this, the church was built on the ruines of a pagan temple dedicated to Appolon that was destroyed in the the first christian centuries, after Maaloula became christian grace to saint Thecla disciple of st. Paul. The graved part in the rock, the small door, the corns in the iconostasis and the capitals inside the walls are rests of that pagan temple.

1- Main Altar.

2- Side Altar.

3- Iconostasis.

4- Choir.

5- Main Porch.

6- Side Porch.

7- Entrance.

 

 

[NYer]

Maalaloula might be ??where??

Syria! It is one of the few remaining towns in the Middle East where the natives still speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus Christ, his Blessed Mother and the apostles.

[NYer]

The only reason I brought up the Church of Sergius and Bacchus is because it had its exterior depicted, and I was wondering about the exterior of the church of the altar. So, do you know if that is the same church?

So often on these threads, we get caught up in the changes that took place post VCII where the proponents justify them by citing early christian church designs. We tend to forget or simply not consider the fact that Jesus was born, died and resurrected in the Middle East. These 'churches' exemlify the earliest designs.

The Maronites, like the other Eastern Churches, are slowly attempting to restore their authentic traditions. These include the design elements of their first churches which happen to be constructed over the foundations of Jewish synagogues. If you look at the plan for the church featured in this article, you will find very little resemblance to any Latin Church you have ever visited. Each architectual aspect of the church holds great significance. And yes, Seamole, the contemporary church would be wrong to design an altar that does not conform to that set forth by the Council of Nicea.

It's a journey back to our ancient roots, except this church is still active, 1700 years after its construction.

[Kolokotronis]

Good for you, NYer!

By the way, there is a very ancient altar (probably late 4th century) in the ruins of a church at Epidaurus in the Argolid in Greece which looks very much like this one.

[GipperGal]

A gay Syrian monastery? ROTFLMAO!!!!

I know, I know. That's not the point of this post. And, yes, I love the archeological signifigance...

But the gay Syrian thing is making me cry laughing... Quick, somebody email this to the Cedar Revolution folks. They will have a field day taunting the Syrians about this...

[NYer]

I simply find the topic most interesting. Perhaps I missed my calling in life as an archaeologist ;-D. Or is the this the Eastern phronema at work? :-)

[Kolokotronis]

Maybe both, NYer, maybe both. I do like the edge of your remarks about reclaiming an ancient heritage! :)

[SunkenCiv]

Just adding this to the GGG catalog, not sending a general distribution.

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