Archaeologists in Turkey have made a significant discovery at the Türkmen Karahöyük archaeological site in Konya, central Turkey. A 1,500-year-old Christian amulet containing a paper-thin sheet of gold has been unearthed. Experts believe it might hold a biblical passage. This discovery was reported by the Turkish state media outlet Anadolu Agency (AA).

An international team, consisting of roughly 60 researchers from 13 countries, was excavating the site when they found the amulet. It dates back to the fourth or fifth centuries A.D., a pivotal period in Christian history. The copper case of the amulet houses a thin, 0.1-millimeter sheet of gold where a passage from the Bible was likely inscribed, although the specific passage is yet to be identified.

Images of the amulet reveal it as a small, dark, and heavily corroded artifact. Researchers are carefully examining and cleaning it. Michele Rüzgar Massa, co-director of the excavation, informed AA that such amulets are rare, suggesting only one similar example has been found in Germany. He noted the artifact likely belonged to a child, similar to an evil-eye charm.

In addition to the amulet, archaeologists discovered older artifacts. These include a stone seal with a hieroglyphic Luwian inscription. The Luwians were an ancient people who lived in Anatolia during the Bronze and Iron Ages, and the seal dates back to around 1500-1400 B.C. Massa indicated the stone seal bears the name “Kurunti-ziti,” related to Kurunta, a significant deity in the Hittite world. Although the person named on the seal wasn’t of high rank, they played a role in the state’s bureaucracy, indicating the site was a major administrative hub.

Deputy excavation director Hüseyin Erpehlivan stressed the site’s importance in Anatolian archaeology. Situated in Konya, at the cultural crossroads of Anatolia, Türkmen Karahöyük reveals a multilayered settlement. The site contains evidence spanning from the Late Hellenistic period through the Iron Age and Bronze Age, even encompassing earlier periods.

This amulet is among many notable discoveries with biblical connections that have emerged from Turkey recently. Earlier discoveries include a rare 2,500-year-old marble statue from the ruins of Sardis, a city mentioned in the Book of Revelation, and an ancient mosaic found in Smyrna, now modern-day İzmir.