Religion is nearly as long as human history. Around the world, through the centuries, people have looked to a higher power for deeper meaning in their lives. Each religion has its own priorities, customs, and places of worship, but many have something in common. Most of the major religions have built churches to hold religious services within. The team at AAA State of Play gave us illustrated insight into the world’s oldest churches. Their infographic shows us sketched images of the churches and tells us a bit about their history, what religion they served, where they’re located, and when they were built.
Many people consider the Megiddo Church in Tel Megiddo, Israel, to be the oldest, purpose-built place of worship in the world. It was built in 230 AD, dated through the inscriptions found there. Today, Megiddo is mainly in ruins on the Megiddo Prison grounds. An inmate discovered the site in 2005. Archaeologists uncovered pottery, coins, and mosaics that indicated it was a church whose remains might have been hidden on purpose when Christians were persecuted by Romans. Megiddo has deep importance to Christians because the Bible declares it as the site of the final battle in Armageddon. Other people think that the Pantheon in Rome is the oldest church since it was built in 65 AD. The Pantheon is known as the Basilica of St. Mary and the Martyrs today, but it was first built to be a temple to the Roman gods rather than a place of worship, which is why some consider Megiddo to be the oldest official church.
A cathedral is a specific type of Christian church with specific architectural features. Many people in the Western world picture a cathedral when they hear the word, “church.” The world’s oldest cathedral is Etchmiadzin Cathedral in Armenia, built in 301 AD by St. Gregory the Illuminator. It’s built over the remains of pagan temple, showing us that Christian churches may dominate this list because of religious warfare and destruction of old buildings of other faiths.
