Posted on 07/28/2005 7:15:48 AM PDT by nuconvert
Apostles’ successor's bones discovered in Iran’s St. Stephanus Church
TEHRAN, July 27 (MNA) -- Shahriar Adl, the director of the team documenting three Iranian churches for registration on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, said on Wednesday that they have discovered the bones of one of the successors of the Apostles of Jesus in one of the ceilings of the St. Stephanus Church, which is located near Marand in East Azarbaijan.
Some historical sources, such as the travelogue of Frenchmen Jean Baptiste Tavernier (1605-1689), some photos kept at Tehran’s Golestan Palace, and the photos taken by Ali Khan Vali, the governor of northern Azarbaijan during the reign of the Qajar king Nasser ad-Din Shah and kept in the Adl family archives, indicate that the bones of Saint Stephanus (Saint Stephen), who acted as a direct successor to Saint Peter, Saint Matthew, and the Prophet Daniel, are being kept in the St. Stephanus Church.
“The East Azarbaijan Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department sent a letter to the Prelacy of Iran after the team discovered the bones, asking their representative to attend the process of gathering the bones from the site last Sunday,” Adl said.
The team has also discovered several pieces of board from the boxes containing the bones, yellow and beige clothes, seeds of frankincense and some pieces of wax, and ocher beside the bones.
The bones have been examined by a team of anthropologists of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization (CHTO).
“The bones have been damaged because of the bad condition of the place. Thus, we could only determine that they are the bones of a single body but the individual bones can not be distinguished,” said team member Farzad Foruzanfar.
The complete skeleton belongs to a man about 50 years old with a strong body, he added.
The bones have been transferred to the Prelacy of Azarbaijan in Tabriz because restoration work is currently underway in the church, but they will be returned after the renovation is complete.
“The bones will be returned to be kept in a specific place during a special religious ceremony,” East Azarbaijan Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department Director Ali-Akbar Taqizadeh said.
Hayk Ajimian, an Armenian scholar and historian, recorded that the church was originally built in the ninth century CE, but repeated earthquakes in Azarbaijan severely damaged the original structure. The church was renovated during the reign of the Safavid king Shah Abbas (1588-1629).
The general structure of the St. Stephanus Church mostly resembles Armenian and Georgian architecture and the inside of the building is adorned with beautiful paintings by Honatanian, a renowned Armenian artist.
The CHTO plans to submit an application to UNESCO to register the St. Stephanus Church as well as the St. Thaddeus and Zorzor churches in West Azarbajian on the World Heritage List.
pong
bong
Uhhh...yeah. OK.
Ain't we all successors to the Apostles?
The Church of Saint Stephanus Marand, Julfa East Azarbayijan
This church, located 16 kilometers to the south-east of Julfa, dates back to the 8th century A.H. (14th century A.D.) and after, and is remarkable for its pyramidal roof cover and its facade decorations.
The monument is also known under the name of the church of Darreh Sham.
ping pong
Doubting Thomas?
Thanx for the pic
pong
This underpins an early church structure which embraced retention of things such as physical relics of Saints similar to the tradition carried on by the Catholic and Eastern Rites of today indicating a lineage, I would venture to guess. V's wife.
Cool. Stephen was the very first Christian martyr, bless his heart.
git'cher holy bones here!
I guess because he spoke truth to power and was killed for it?
Although Daniel survived...
???? I, too, am confused about the Daniel reference. Why was he a successor to Peter & Matthew? Unless this is a different Stephen ie not the one who was stoned to death while Saul (Paul) watched.
I see from this that the Holy Apostle St. Peter even consecrated bishops as far east as Persia. Just think of it, successors of the Rock all over the East.
Praise God for all things!
You have a cheap camera.
"When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place: he that readeth let him understand." Matthew 24:15
DANIEL, whose name signifies THE JUDGMENT OF GOD, was of the royal blood of the kings of Juda: and one of those that were first of all carried away into captivity. He was so renowned for wisdom and knowledge, that it became a proverb among the Babylonians, AS WISE AS DANIEL (Ezech. 28.3). And his holiness was so great from his very childhood, that at the time when he was as yet but a young man, he is joined by the SPIRIT of GOD with NOE and JOB, as three persons most eminent for virtue and sanctity, Ezech. 14. He is not commonly numbered by the Hebrews among THE PROPHETS: because he lived at court, and in high station in the world: but if we consider his many clear predictions of things to come, we shall find that no one better deserves the name and title of A PROPHET: which also has been given him by the SON of GOD himself, Matt. 24, Mark 13., Luke 21.
Me too, since there is about 700 years between Daniel and Matthew/Peter ...
And Stephen was stoned in Jerusalem wasnt he? How did his remains get to where they claim he was found?
Need to review that section in Acts again ...
Story still doesn't make any connections between Daniel and Stephen.
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