Summary: An ancient ivory relic depicting Biblical figures, such as Moses receiving the Ten Commandments, was uncovered in a 1,500-year-old church in Austria.
The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” – Exodus 24:12 (ESV)
Ivory Pyx in a Marble Shrine
An ancient ivory relic was uncovered in a previously unknown church on a hilltop settlement in Irschen, Austria, according to a news release from the University of Innsbruck. Archaeologists, led by Gerald Grabherr, discovered a small marble shrine hidden under an altar in a side chapel area of the church, which was abandoned in AD 610.
The shrine, measuring about 8 x 12 inches, contained a “heavily fragmented” pyx believed to be 1,500 years old. A pyx is a small round receptacle or box used to carry Communion wafers or holy relics. The pyx, made of ivory, was “richly decorated with Christian motifs,” such as Moses receiving the Ten Commandments and Jesus’ ascension. It is one of the oldest depictions of Moses known to exist today.
“We know of around 40 ivory boxes of this kind worldwide and, as far as I know, the last time one of these was found during excavations was around 100 years ago – the few pyxes that exist are either preserved in cathedral treasures or exhibited in museums,” explained Grabherr. This is the first such pyx found in Austria’s archaeological context.
Holy Relics
Excavations of the centuries-old church revealed it to be 60 feet long with a marble threshold at its entrance. Inside, the team discovered a sealing stone in a pit-like depression where an altar once stood. Hidden underneath the stone was a white marble reliquary, a box or container used to store relics.
The reliquary is considered the “holiest” item within a church and should have been taken before the building was abandoned in 610 AD. Experts question why it was left behind, buried beneath the church ruins.
The archaeologists assumed at first that the remains of a saint – i.e. a relic in the classic sense of the word – were originally in the marble box. “The pyx was presumably also seen as sacred and was treated as such because it was in contact with a relic. The archaeological and art-historical significance of the pyx cannot be denied,” emphasized Grabherr.
The broken pyx pieces would have once formed a circle fashioned with metal to hold or “glue” it together along with wooden clasps. The way the ivory fragments were layered in the marble box suggest that the artifact had already been broken before being stored away and buried under the altar.
According to Dr. Ulrike Töchterle, head of the restoration workshop in Innsbruck: “Either the pyx was already in a destroyed, broken state in the marble cube or someone was tampering with it.”
“Presumably someone tried to remove the relic,” she continued. “It is very noticeable that parts were missing, from the fittings for example, and also parts of the relief on the outer wall.”
Biblical Character Depictions
The characters featured around the pyx are all men with beards and long robes, depicting scenes in the Old and New Testaments. Archaeologists hypothesized that Moses and Christ may be displayed on the box, although the interpretation is not fully known.
On one side of the pyx, a man is shown at the foot of a mountain turning his gaze away from a hand coming out of the sky above him, placing something between the person’s arms. “This is the typical depiction of the handing over of the laws to Moses on Mount Sinai, the beginning of the covenant between God and man from the Old Testament,” explained Gerald Grabherr.
Another figure is featured on a chariot with two horses harnessed to it. Here, also, there is a hand coming out of the clouds which appears to be pulling the figure up into heaven. “We assume that this is a depiction of the ascension of Christ, the fulfillment of the covenant with God,” said Grabherr.
“The depiction of scenes from the Old Testament and their connection with scenes from the New Testament is typical of late antiquity and thus fits in with our pyx; however, the depiction of the ascension of Christ with a so-called biga, a two-horse chariot, is very special and previously unknown,” added Grabherr.
The Bible includes several passages with horses, including Revelations 19:11. “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True.“ The Book of Exodus also discusses the Egyptians riding horses and chariots while pursuing Moses and the Israelites.
The team also suggested that the depiction of the rider, chariot and horses may refer to the prophet Elijah’s ascension to the heavens as recorded in 2 Kings 2.
“And as [Elijah and Elisha] still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, “My father, my father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” And [Elisha] saw [Elijah] no more. – 2 Kings 2:11-12a (ESV)
Another scene carved on the pyx looks to be imagery of Jesus resurrecting from the burial chamber following the crucifixion.
Ancient mosaics showing Biblical scenes have been unearthed in recent years, but so far depictions of Moses are rare. Assuming the Irschen pyx was made sometime in the 500s AD, it would join a handful of other ancient representations as the oldest found to date. Interestingly, these also contain the same hand of God motif. The oldest known examples of Moses in artwork come from the Dura-Europos synagogue in Syria that has extensive figurative wall-paintings, several of which feature Moses. These were likely painted by AD 244 when the final phase of construction was completed. The town was destroyed and abandoned in the year 257.
The next oldest example of Moses depictions comes from the Brescia Casket, which is an ivory box, perhaps a reliquary from the late 4th century, originally constructed in Milan Italy. The 36 subjects carved on the outside of the box include scenes of the finding of Moses, and Moses on Mount Horeb, receiving the law, and killing the Egyptian.
Ivory Restoration
The ivory pyx is very fragile and can no longer be restored to its original state because the larger parts of it are damaged, however, the researchers are working on a 3D reconstruction model.
“Ivory, especially ivory stored on the ground like in the marble shrine, absorbs moisture from its surroundings and is very soft and easily damaged in this state. In addition, uncontrolled drying out can lead to shrinkage and cracks and thus to damage that can no longer be repaired,” said Ulrike Töchterle.
“Due to the very high humidity of 90 percent in the marble shrine immediately after salvage, the risk of condensation and mold formation was very high, and the contents could not be allowed to dry out too quickly,” Töchterle said. “This meant we had to ensure a very careful and prolonged drying process.”
Further Analyses
Further investigations of the exciting find are currently underway. The team noted that while the box was found in southern Austria, it was unlikely to have been made there due to the lack of materials needed in the region.
“We still need to determine the exact origin of the marble, and we also want to specify the origin of the ivory and the elephant, using stable isotope analyses,” said Töchterle.
“The ivory pyx was certainly a product that was not made in Irschen,” according to the researchers. “Because of the quality of workmanship and the artistry of the craftsman, one can be sure that they were located in a major urban center… So we’re assuming an area between Alexandria, Ravenna or – the closest – Aquileia would be conceivable.”
“Metallic components – the hinges of the pyx were made of metal – are also still being examined, as is the glue that was used for the ivory,” said Töchterle. “Last but not least, wooden parts were also found in the marble box, presumably parts of the pyx’s clasp.”
“These pieces of wood are also being analyzed more closely; we are particularly interested in the type of wood and its origin, and the age is also of interest to us,” continued Töchterle.
Hilltop Settlement of Irschen
Excavations have been ongoing since 2016 at Irschen, a municipality in the Carthian Drava Valley in southern Austria. This discovery was first made in 2022.
The hilltop settlement is about 4.5 acres large. It is believed that 200 to 300 people lived in the area in the late antiquity, between the 3rd and 7th centuries AD. The settlement was abandoned around AD 610 after the nearby Battle of Aguntum in which Slavic forces attacked and won against the local Germain Baiuvarii people.
So far, archaeologists have unearthed two Christian churches, several dwellings and a cistern. The team uncovered burials to the south and west, with remains of people who once lived in the region believed to be the “social upper class.”
The human remains of three adults, a teenager and four children were taken to the Natural History Museum in Vienna. Researchers noted that the people did not die at the same time but were buried one on top of the other.
Roman Empire
The region of Irschen was once owned by the Roman Empire and the church with the marble reliquary was likely a pagan sanctuary prior to the emperor’s law made more than 1,600 years ago.
“Towards the end of the Roman Empire, times became more uncertain, especially in the peripheral provinces of the empire, including the area that is now Austria. For this reason, from around the 4th century, the inhabitants increasingly founded settlements on hilltops that were easier to defend and left the valley floor,” said Grabherr.
Roman emperor Constantine the Great converted to Christianity, issuing the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, which legalized Christianity and promoted tolerance of the faith. Then, in 380 AD, emperor Theodosius issued the Edict of Thessalonica making Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire.
Conclusion
Töchterle said researchers are continuing to analyze the find to learn more about the origin of the reliquary’s marble and about the other materials the relic was made with, the ivory, wood and metal. Hopefully, after further research is completed, they will soon have answers to the questions of where the artifact came from, what exactly the Biblical depictions are, and why it was left buried in the church.
Keep Thinking!
TOP PHOTO: Ivory fragments of the pyx arranged in a circle on a white background. (credit: University of Innsbruck)
