Archaeologists discovered exquisite Christian frescoes in northern Sudan (photo)

A team of archaeologists discovered a collection of exquisite Christian frescoes during excavations at Old Dongola in northern Sudan. The city was the capital of the Nubian kingdom of Macuria, located on the east bank of the Nile River.

Excavations revealed an underground chamber and a complex of vaulted and domed rooms built of clay bricks. The finds date back to the 16th-19th centuries AD during the Funj Sultanate, HeritageDaily reports.

Several rooms are said to be decorated with a collection of frescoes depicting Christian scenes. On them are images of Christ, Archangel Michael, Mary, and the Nubian ruler.

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The work is accompanied by inscriptions, one of which mentions King David several times and asks God to protect the city.

"He was one of the last rulers of Christian Macuria, whose reign marks the beginning of the end of the kingdom. For reasons unknown, King David attacked Egypt, which responded by invading Nubia, and Dongola was conquered for the first time in its history. The painting may have been created when the Mamluk army was approaching the city or besieging it," the archaeologists explained.

The room containing David's inscriptions resembles a crypt and is located a few meters above the medieval ground level. It is located next to a large monumental building that researchers believe was the cathedral of Dongola called the Great Church of Jesus, mentioned in historical texts.

The Israel Antiquities Authority recently announced that the world's oldest metal fishing hook had been found in Ashkelon. It was used to catch sharks.

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