Claims made by Thomas Parker of the North Carolina State University that he and his archaeological team, excavating in the Jordanian port city of Aqaba, had discovered the world’s oldest Christian church were greeted by scepticism in the archaeological world. The mud-brick structure a few hundred yards from the Red Sea may have been built 1,700 years ago, however, Mr Parker admitted that after four years’ work there was no conclusive proof for his claim. It has been suggested that the competition between Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority to attract the largest number of pilgrims to the Holy Land for the Millennium had influenced Mr Parker’s interpretation.
Originally appeared in The Art Newspaper as ‘Archaeology in aid of tourism?'
