Ancient Christian amulet unearthed after 1,500 years may hold biblical secret

Archaeologists in Turkey have unearthed a 1,500-year-old Christian amulet containing a paper-thin sheet of gold — and experts believe it may contain a biblical passage.

The discovery, made at the Türkmen Karahöyük archaeological site in Konya, central Turkey, was reported by Turkish state media outlet Anadolu Agency (AA) earlier this summer.

An international team of roughly 60 researchers from 13 countries was excavating the site when the amulet was discovered.

ANCIENT CLUE CRACKS OPEN A 2,000-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY NEAR FAMED COLOSSEUM The amulet dates back to the fourth or fifth centuries A.D. — a formative time in Christian history .

Inside its copper case is a thin, 0.1-millimeter gold sheet on which a passage from the Bible was "most likely" written, AA reported.

It is still unclear which biblical passage it contains.

Pictures show the amulet as a small, dark and heavily corroded artifact — with researchers carefully examining and cleaning it.

Excavation co-director Michele Rüzgar Massa told AA that these types of amulets "are not very common." LOST PAGES WITH 'GHOST' TEXT RECOVERED FROM ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST IMPORTANT NEW TESTAMENT MANUSCRIPTS "As far as we know, one similar example was found in Germany ," said Massa, who added that the amulet likely belonged to a small child.

"In other words, you can think of it like an evil-eye charm," he said.

Archaeologists also found older artifacts, including a stone seal with a hieroglyphic Luwian inscription.

The Luwians were an ancient people who inhabited parts of Anatolia during the Bronze and Iron Ages, and the seal dates back to roughly 1500-1400 B.C.

CONSTRUCTION WORKERS CLEARING OLD BOMBS UNEXPECTEDLY FIND 'IMPORTANT' ANCIENT SANCTUARY Archaeologists also found two copper seals and a clay seal impression.

Massa told AA the stone seal bears the name "Kurunti-ziti," which is linked to Kurunta, an important god in the Hittite world.

"This person did not hold a very high-ranking position, but we can nevertheless see a hierarchy belonging to the bureaucracy and the state," Massa said of the person named on the stone seal.