Ancient Aramaic Inscriptions Found in Eastern Türkiye: Jesus' Language Unearthed Again

Archaeologists in eastern Türkiye's Van Province recently found six new Aramaic inscriptions at Zernaki Tepe, a 3,000-year-old site. Aramaic was the language Jesus spoke, and these stones date back to Parthian times. Some inscriptions were scratched out on purpose, pointing to old empire conflicts. Professor Rafet Çavuşoğlu from Van Yüzüncü Yıl University leads the dig, noting the site's thick walls and planned streets show it was a real city.

This comes after a stone inscription turned up in Ardahan village weeks ago. It's now at Kars Archaeology Museum. Experts think it mentions "King Artaxiad" and marks old borders from Seleucid times. It links to similar finds in Iğdır.

Türkiye has seen more Aramaic before. In 2022, four inscriptions came from the same Zernaki Tepe site. Iğdır has border stones from Artaxiad kings since the 2000s. These show Aramaic's role as a key language in ancient empires like the Achaemenids and Parthians.

The discoveries highlight Zernaki Tepe's 270-hectare size as a busy hub. Erciş Governor Murat Karaloğlu says there are now 14 texts total. Teams are working fast to read them before winter hits, shedding light on forgotten history in Türkiye's east.