Archaeologists have discovered an ancient structure in Bahrain, which is considered one of the oldest Christian buildings in the Gulf. The project was a joint effort first launched in 2019 by the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities under Dr. Salman Al Mahari and led by Professor Timothy Insoll from the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at Exeter University.

According to Christian Today, teams from Bahrain and the United Kingdom carried out the excavation at Samahij cemetery, where they found remnants of a 300-year-old mosque hidden beneath the ground. As they dug deeper, they uncovered a large building with eight rooms, including a kitchen, dining room, workshop, and three living quarters.

“The findings suggest the building may have been the residence of the diocese bishop, which included Samahij,” a Bahraini government media team stated.

“Records also indicate a connection between the region and central church authorities, with one bishop dismissed in 410 CE and another condemned for challenging church unity in the mid-seventh century,” the statement continued.

The Church of the East, also known as the Nestorian Church, dates back to the fourth century and flourished in the region until the spread of Islam began in the seventh century.

“We stress the importance of this site and the need to preserve it, highlighting its historical and archaeological value,” Professor Insoll said.

“We were amused to find someone had drawn part of a face on a pearl shell using bitumen, possibly for a child who lived in the building,” the professor continued. “This is the first physical evidence of the Nestorian Church in Bahrain, providing a fascinating insight into how people lived, worked, and worshipped.”

During the excavation, archaeologists also found three plaster crosses, two on the building’s exterior and one possibly kept as a personal memento, along with wall carvings featuring a fish symbol and part of the ‘Chi Rho’ etching, representing the word of Christ.