Bones of Christian Saint Uncovered in Monastery Destroyed by ISIS
- Updated Apr 05, 2016
The remains of a Christian martyr from the third century A.D. have been discovered among ruins of an ancient monastery destroyed by ISIS.
Christian Today reports that ISIS destroyed the monastery in the predominantly Christian town of al-Qaryatain back in August 2015. Syrian and allied forces, aided by Russian airstrikes, recaptured the town on Sunday, April 3, according to Syria’s military command.
Photos of the destroyed monastery taken by Channel 4 News reporter Lindsey Hilsum show the bones of the saint, thought to be the martyred Saint Julian, scattered among ruins of a sarcophagus.
St. Julian was martyred in 284 A.D. for refusing to recant his faith. He was killed by his own father, who was a Roman officer.
ISIS reportedly used bulldozers to raze the monastery, which was over 1,500 years old. The militants also destroyed all the crosses and Christian symbols in the monastery and attempted to burn the site. They also burned Assyrian Christian holy books found there.
Publication date: April 5, 2016
