Ancient Discovery Tied To Moses’ Ten Commandments
An archeological excavation unearthed a shrine made of marble which contained a relic that experts believe may be tied to the historical moment when Moses received the Ten Commandments.
According to Innsbruck University archeologists who made the discovery, a 1,500 year old box was discovered within a shrine that is covered in Christian symbols.
“The archaeological and art-historical significance of the pyx cannot be denied,” says Gerald Grabherr, the team’s lead archeologist.
The team of experts says the shrine was found under an altar inside a chapel in the municipality of Irschen, at the summit of Burgbichl which they have been excavating since 2016.
“We know of around 40 ivory boxes of this kind worldwide and, as far as I know, the last time one of these was found during excavations was around 100 years ago,” Grabherr stated.
“The few pyxes that exist are either preserved in cathedral treasures or exhibited in museums,” he continued.
There is a motif which depicts a man raising his hand to the sky whilst turning his head and placing an object between another person’s arms, this is then followed by other depictions of figures from the Bible.
Grabherr stated, “this is the typical depiction of the handing over of the laws to Moses on Mount Sinai, the beginning of the covenant between God and man from the Old Testament.”
Two horses pulling a chariot that is pulled up into the heavens by a hand is yet another depiction displayed in a motif on the object.
In the press release Grabherr stated, “We assume that this is a depiction of the ascension of Christ, the fulfillment of the covenant with God.”
“The depiction of scenes from the Old Testament and their connection with scenes from the New Testament is typical of late antiquity and thus fits in with our pyx; however, the depiction of the Ascension of Christ with a so-called biga, a two-horse chariot, is very special and previously unknown,” the press release continued.
Additional investigations are being conducted into the various components of this discovery such as the origin of the ivory, metallic and wooden elements found in the marble box.
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