Archeologists discover a Nativity drawing in the Sahara, but it's from 3,000 BC

Is there such a thing as a time machine? That's what a discovery made in the Egyptian Sahara suggests. A team of researchers discovered the intriguing presence of a cave painting. It depicts the famous Nativity scene. While there's nothing really transcendent about it so far, what's astonishing is the fact that it was painted 3,000 years before Christ's birth.

3000 years ahead

It was a team of Italian researchers, led by Marco Morelli, Director of the Museum of Planetary Sciences in Prato, Italy, who made the surprising discovery...in 2005, as reported by our colleagues on the Seeker website. No one knows why they waited so long to share their find, but it's incredible! In a cave in the Sahara, between the Nile Valley and the Gilf el-Kebir plateau, they found what is to date the oldest representation of the Nativity.

This highly evocative scene does indeed resemble the Nativity scene. But it predates it by some 3,000 years.

Yes, its exceptional character is due to the fact that it dates back 5,000 years - or, if you do the math, 3,000 years before the birth of Christ! What has come to be known as the 'Cave of the Parents' is reminiscent of the Nativity scene in the Gospel of Matthew. There can be no doubt that there were many births before Christ. So why such a focus on this drawing? Could it be pure chance?

The stage

Made from reddish-brown ochre, the scene bears uncanny similarities to the story of Christ. It shows 2 parents, 1 child carried at arm's length, a circle facing east, interpreted as the Moon, and 2 animals. A monkey and a headless lion. In Christian tradition, the Lion of Judah traditionally represents Christ. Marco Morelli explained:

This discovery has many implications, as it raises a significant number of questions relating to the iconography of one of the most important Christian symbols. We have never found similar scenes before the beginning of the Christian era.

Although the exact date of Christ's birth has never been revealed, it was decided as early as the 4th century that it would be December 25. Initially, this pagan date was associated with the Roman cult of Mithra and the Egyptian birth of Horus. It was chosen to compete with these polytheistic religions.

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This article has been translated from Gentside FR.

Sources used:

Youtube: Seeker