The Jesus Cup

 

The oldest artifact to mention Jesus by name.

There is an artifact dated to the first century A.D. that many believe mentions Jesus by name. The artifact is a ceramic bowl or Careened cup that, aside from a missing handle, is in excellent condition. The remarkably well-preserved artifact was discovered in 2008 by a team from the European Institute for Underwater Archaeology (IEASM). The team was led by Frank Goddio as they worked near the now-submerged islands of Antirhodos. This site is located in the harbor of the Egyptian city of Alexandria and is historically linked to the palace, and some speculate that it is the tomb of Queen Cleopatra.

The extraordinary thing about this cup is the inscription upon it. Most scholars now believe the cup itself was manufactured and fired in Western Asia Minor sometime in the first century B.C. At a later time, the cup was inscribed. The inscription is believed to have come from the first half of the first century A.D., with many scholars placing the date at 50 A.D. or earlier. This would mean the inscription was carved into the bowl less than twenty years after Jesus was crucified.

The inscription, which is in Greek, reads, DIA CHRSTOU O GOISTAIS. This translates into “Through Christ the magician”. The accuracy of the translation is a key point of controversy, which will be explored later.  If this translation is correct, as many scholars believe, this would be the oldest artifact or item ever found to mention Jesus. This would mean that the story or reputation of Jesus as a miracle worker had reached as far as Alexandria before 50 A.D. This is far sooner than was previously thought.

Two important notes. The first is the word ‘Magician’. This is thought to be a reference to the stories of Jesus, powers to heal and to perform other miraculous feats. Again, this shows Jesus’ reputation went far beyond a localized group and apparently encompassed the entire area of the Mediterranean Sea. Some see this as external proof of Jesus performing miracles. The second item of note is the belief that this cup did not belong to a Christian. It is believed this cup belonged to a fortune teller in Alexandria. The fortune-teller was attempting to invoke the name of Jesus and His power in their own practices. This confirms the fact that Jesus was well known in Alexandria at the time the cup was in use. The user was attempting to impress their customers with the name of a well-known magician, thus increasing their own worth. If Jesus had not been well known, His name would have had no value.

The primary area of controversy with this artifact is the translation or reading of the inscription.  As mentioned, many scholars believe the inscription reads “Christou,” which would translate to Christos.Christ. Some scholars are not so sure. Some believe the inscription reads “Chrestou” which they believe is simply the name Chrestos. This changes the overall translation of the text from “Through Christ the Magician/Chanter” to possibly “A gift from Chrestos to the Ogoistais”.  Ogoistais was a known religious fraternity. Some who believe the second inscription bases it on the fact that the cup originated from Western Asia Minor. While this may be a valid point, it is almost unanimously agreed that the inscription was added to the cup after it was fired, perhaps as much as a century later. This raises the likely possibility that the inscription was made by the end user in Alexandria, not in Asia Minor.

If the inscription on the cup does reference Jesus Christ, it would be the first mention of the name known to exist, possibly older than any of the writings of the New Testament. This would result in the need to rethink how quickly Christianity spread in the region. If the cup does mention Jesus, it is a strong indication that Christianity spread at a much faster rate than is currently believed. If the single letter in the inscription can be resolved, this cup could be confirmed as proof of Jesus’ power being well known throughout the region, far earlier than previously believed.