New dating evidence supports claims that bones found under a church floor in Bulgaria could be those of John the Baptist — although of course they could equally well belong to his contemporary Fred the Goatherd.
Nevertheless, it’s unusual to find holy relics that could possibly be what they claim, and the researchers say they’re surprised.
The bones were originally discovered in 2010 by archaeologist Kazimir Popkonstantinov, under an ancient church on an island in Bulgaria known as Sveti Ivan, or St John.
A small box made of hardened volcanic ash was found nearby, bearing inscriptions in ancient Greek that directly mention John the Baptist and his feast day, and ask God to “help your servant Thomas”.
Six human bones, including a tooth and the face part of a cranium, were found in small a marble sarcophagus under the floor near the altar, along with three animal bones.