Rare pagan masterpiece emerges near where St Paul spread teachings of Christianity

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Excavators recently uncovered an ornate Roman mosaic at an archaeological site in Turkey, near where the Apostle Paul helped spread Christianity beyond the Levant.

The mosaic was found at Aspendos, an ancient city about 25 miles east of Antalya in southern Turkey, the country's Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced in June.

It was discovered on Theater Street in Aspendos, which connects the city's acropolis - or citadel - with its theater.

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Aspendos lies just miles from Perga, the biblical city mentioned in Acts 13:13 and 14:25 where the Apostle Paul traveled during his first missionary journey.

Pictures of the mosaic show a depiction of the youthful river god Eurymedon, framed by geometric patterns and aquatic imagery.

Officials said the god is "depicted holding and wearing reed leaves."

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"He leans against an amphora from which water flows, symbolizing nature's abundance and the life-giving power of water," the translated statement said.

Archaeologists believe the pagan mosaic once formed the floor of a pool built in the early 3rd century A.D.

The mosaic floor covers roughly 20 by 25 feet and "is believed to continue into areas that have not yet been excavated," officials said.

"Researchers believe the structure was subdivided into separate rooms following the 262 A.D. earthquake."

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Depictions of the river god Eurymedon are exceptionally unusual in ancient mosaics, according to Turkish officials. 

The god is "represented by only a limited number of known examples," said the statement.

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Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the Turkish minister of culture and tourism, noted that the mosaic was of "great scientific importance."

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"It is also especially significant because depictions of river gods are extremely rare in mosaic art," Ersoy said in the release.

"This discovery not only reveals the artistic richness of Aspendos, but also provides important scientific data on Roman-period Anatolian mosaic art."

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The discovery is one of many archaeological finds in Turkey, which has become a hotbed for discoveries tied to the ancient Roman and early Christian worlds.

This summer, archaeologists unveiled a rare 1,700-year-old Aramaic inscription at a temple in Turkey, offering new evidence of Christianity's rise over the mysterious cult Mithraism.

Last fall, excavators uncovered a Roman military hospital that was later converted into a Christian sanctuary in the ancient Turkish city of Kaunos.