Jubail Church
Church in Jubail, Saudi Arabia
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Jubail Church (Classical Syriac: ܥܕܬܐ ܕܡܕܢܚܐ ܕܐܬܘܖ̈ܝܐ, romanized: ʿĒḏtā ḏ-Maḏnḥā ḏ-ʾĀṯūrāyē; Arabic: كنيسة الجبيل) is an ancient church building near Jubail, a city in the Eastern province on the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Arabia.[1][2][3][4][5] The date of the Jubail Church is contentious. Some sources place it in the fourth century,[6] whereas others place it in the seventh. It contains a stucco, which suggests it is contemporary with similar Christian sites known from al-Qusur, Sir Bani Yas and Kharg.[7] It contains two still visible crosses that have been carved into the wall on either side of the middle inner doorway leading from the nave towards the sanctuary.[6]
| Jubail Church | |
|---|---|
كنيسة الجبيل | |
Jubail Church | |
 Jubail Church | |
| Location | Jubail |
| Country |  Saudi Arabia |
| Denomination | Syriac Christianity |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | 4th-century [citation needed] |
The church was discovered in 1986[8] and excavated by the Saudi Department of Antiquities in 1987. As of 2008, the results of the excavation had not been published,[7] amid sensitivity about artifacts of non-Islamic origin.[8]
History
The church originally belonged to the Church of the East (Nestorian Church), a branch of Eastern Christianity in West Asia.
It was discovered in 1986 by picnickers,[8] and excavated in 1987. As of 2009 the site was fenced, and tourists and archaeologists were not permitted to examine it. Faisal al-Zamil, who had previously visited the site, was not permitted to publish information about it in Saudi media.[8]