Archaeologists working at a church in Turkey claim that they have discovered the remains of the cross on which Jesus was crucified.

Below is an excerpt from the article detailing the findings:

Archeologists conducting excavations at the site of a church in Turkey have unearthed a stone chest containing a relic that may be part of the cross on which Jesus was crucified.

The items were discovered during a large-scale excavation at the Balatlar Church, which was built in A.D. 660 near the Black Sea, Today’s Zaman reported.

Professor Gülgün Köroglu, an associate professor at Turkey’s Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University and excavation leader, told the newspaper the artifacts are linked to Jesus’ crucifixion.

You can read the story here.

Allow me to show my skepticism about this claim. Many years ago, an archeologist said that he had found Noah’s Ark and that he had a piece of wood that would confirm his claim. We are still waiting for this evidence.

I do not believe that what they found in this excavation is a piece of the cross where Jesus was crucified. In fact, there is no way anyone can confirm that the relic was part of the cross.

Claude Mariottini
Professor of Old Testament
Northern Baptist Seminary