Archaeologists uncover church where Nicene Creed was debated

Archaeologists excavating in İznik, Turkey, believe they have identified the Church of Saint Neophytos, the small building where bishops gathered in A.D. 325 for the First Council of Nicaea. Led by Professor Mustafa Şahin, the excavation uncovered wall sections, floor paving, and a column base beneath a later basilica on the shores of Lake İznik. The council convened by Emperor Constantine addressed the controversy over Arius, who taught that Jesus was created by God rather than fully divine. After weeks of debate, the bishops affirmed that Christ is "of one substance" with the Father—language that became central to the Nicene Creed, still recited in churches nearly 1,700 years later. The identification rests partly on fourth-century historian Eusebius of Caesarea, who attended the council and described the church as so small that the gathering of many clergy seemed miraculous. The newly uncovered structure's dimensions closely match that account. The Church of Saint Neophytos was destroyed by earthquake in A.D. 368; Christians later built a larger basilica directly over the site to commemorate the council. Excavations have also recovered artifacts including a gold ring and bronze thimble from the Umayyad siege of A.D. 729.

— Summarized by Evan, Feason's AI news reader, from the linked report. Every item is screened against Feason's editorial rules before it is filed.

Source: Relevant Magazine — https://relevantmagazine.com/current/buzzworthy/archaeologists-say-theyve-found-the-room-where-the-nicene-creed-was-written/