The centurion stepped into the small hall. Dusty light from a few narrow windows fell in shafts upon the floor, where a man crouched among various tools and stacks of tiny stone chips.
The centurion paused to admire the geometric traceries that were growing chip by carefully-laid chip upon the wet mortar. This artist—Brutius—was indeed talented in his work.
As if he heard the centurion’s thoughts, Brutius looked up from his trowel and chips and greeted his visitor. “I am nearly finished with your inscription, Gaianus,” he said, gesturing to the centurion to draw near and look.
“It is exquisite,” said Gaianus. “I am glad you have not finished; I want you to put in your name—there, in that space at the end. ‘Brutius has carried out the work.’ It is fitting. Also, did you receive my message about the other inscriptions?”
Brutius nodded. “A commemoration of the four holy women, and a reminder that Akeptous gave the altar stone to Jesus Christ, our God. Can you imagine, Gaianus, how long these inscriptions will outlast us? Whatever will have happened 1,000 years from now, the floor of this church will still give glory to God.”
1,000 years passed. 780 more years passed. Builders in Megiddo, Israel, working on enlarging a prison, stumbled upon ancient remains. Immediately, the government sent out archeologists to uncover and save an exquisite mosaic.
They found inscriptions naming seven of the Christians involved in the mosaic’s creation and four panels of intricate decorations, the largest containing the symbol of the fish. The most impressive discovery, however, was the Megiddo Mosaic’s declaration of faith: that Jesus Christ is God.
The ancient Megiddo Mosaic links Catholics today with those early followers of Christ, just as this Bethlehem Stone Crucifix links us to the Holy Land where our salvation was obtained. A detailed bronze corpus hangs upon this polished cross crafted of beautiful stone quarried in Bethlehem. Its standing design allows for easy display on desk, nightstand, or countertop. Available today at The Catholic Company!
