Archaeologists in Turkey have just revealed a remarkable find in the ancient city of Colossae — a cluster of some 60 rock-cut tombs carved into travertine that date back roughly 2,200 years, a discovery that brings a biblical landscape back into the light after centuries in the dust. This isn’t idle curiosity; it’s physical evidence from a place mentioned in the New Testament, and the news should stir the consciences of Christians who have watched institutions downplay the historical foundations of our faith.
The graves are not random pits but carefully cut “bathtub” or trough-shaped tombs aligned tightly side-by-side, forming what experts are calling one of the largest rock-cut necropolises yet found in Anatolia. Archaeologists say these graves were intentionally placed on rocky travertine to preserve arable land — a practical, ingenious decision by people who built lives around family, farm, and faith.
Inside the tombs teams uncovered skeletal fragments and an array of funerary goods: oil lamps meant to light the afterlife, coins, sandals, terracotta and glass vessels, and an assortment of amulets and charms that reveal pre-Christian spiritual practices. Those artifacts tell a human story — people who feared death, sought protection, and prepared for what comes next — and they remind us the gospel met real lives in real places.
This excavation, led by archaeologist Barış Yener of Pamukkale University under Turkey’s Heritage for the Future program, is the first systematic dig at Colossae and could finally fill long-standing gaps in the historical record of a city tied to the Apostle Paul’s letter. Conservative Christians ought to welcome rigorous archaeology that confirms the New Testament’s setting, and scholars who care more about ideology than evidence should take note: facts on the ground have a way of humbling theory.
The Turkish ministry has already moved to protect the site with fencing and surveillance, a prudent move that should serve as a model for preserving sacred history against looting and neglect. Americans who love their faith and their heritage should support efforts that translate such finds into pilgrim routes and honest, public history rather than letting relics disappear into private collections or ideological reinterpretation.
If you’re a hardworking patriot who cares about the truth, this is the kind of discovery that matters: it connects today’s church to yesterday’s people and offers a reminder that our faith is rooted in history, not just sentiment. Let’s insist that museums, universities, and the media treat finds like Colossae with seriousness and respect, and not with the casual dismissal we see too often from elites who would rather erase uncomfortable truths than celebrate them.
