Is this Father Christmas’ coffin? Scientists unearth ‘sarcophagus of bishop who inspired Santa Claus’ at ancient church
Archaeologists have discovered a STONE casket that is thought to be that of the first “Santa Claus.”
Since 1989, scholars have excavated the St. Nicholas Church in Demre, Antalya, Turkey.
It is thought to be the last burial site of Saint Nicholas of Myra, a Christian bishop who passed away in 343 AD and is currently known as Demre.
The characters of Sinterklaas and Santa Claus were both modeled in the Greek bishop.
He even donated his inheritance to the cause because he was a devout Christian who believed in helping those in need.
Saint Nick was especially well-known for his covert gift-giving and for hiding money in people’s shoes.
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A limestone sarcophagus that may have belonged to Saint Nicholas has now been discovered by archaeologists investigating the church’s two-story annexe.
In the dig conducted by Associate Professor Ebru Fatma Findik of Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, the five-foot-deep, six-foot-long coffin with an elevated lid was discovered near the seventh-century church’s burial site.
It was discovered that the stone coffin was around six feet below the surface by researchers participating in the site’s “Legacy for the Future Project”.
Findik told Turkey Today that it wasn’t until the researchers began discovering animal bones and pieces of clay lamps that they realized they were on a graveyard.
At the invitation of Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II, a magnificent church was constructed in his honor at the same location hundreds of years after the saint who died in the fourth century was buried there.
After being transferred into a sarcophagus, his remains were interred at the new church.
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However, there is currently no assurance that the stone casket is that of the pious Christian saint who is honored each December.
Although there has long been conjecture over the site of the Bishop’s tomb, the discovery of the coffin so near the church has given researchers hope.
“Some sources suggest that St. Nicholas was buried near the sacred area of the city of Myra,” Findik said.
“The fact that we have found a sarcophagus near the church, which is thought to house his tomb, may indicate that this is indeed the sacred area we have been searching for.”
“This is a significant archaeological confirmation of historical sources regarding the burial place of St. Nicholas,” Findik stated.
Italian robbers from Bari stole part of the bones from his coffin in 1087 and brought them back to their homeland.
Later, during the First Crusade, the remaining bones were taken by Venetian sailors.
Although the identity of the bones discovered in Bari and Venice was verified by scholars in 1953, it is unclear if they belong to Saint Nicholas, according to Heritage Daily.
As of right now, just the lid has been completely unearthed; only a little portion of the burial chamber is visible, and experts are hoping to discover a significant clue about its contents shortly.
“Our biggest hope is to find an inscription on the sarcophagus,” Findik stated.
“This would help clarify the burial contents and allow us to determine the exact period it dates to.”
More information regarding the sarcophagus is anticipated in the coming months, according to the principal investigator.
The face of Saint Nicholas has been restored after 1,700 years by another team of experts.
With authorization from the Centro Studi Nicolaiani, Cicero Moraes and his team used data gathered by Luigi Martino in the 1950s to develop the face.
He stated: Using this information, we first created a 3D reconstruction of the skull.
Next, we used statistical predictions to trace the face’s profile.
We included the anatomical deformation technology, which involves adjusting a living person’s head tomography so that the virtual donor’s skull resembles the saint’s.
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All of this data is interpolated into the final face in an effort to achieve statistical and anatomical consistency.
Two sets of images are produced as a result: one is objective and in greyscale, while the other is more artistic and incorporates elements like clothing and a beard, drawing inspiration from Saint Nicholas’ iconography.
The legend of Saint Nicholas
A popular saint in Christian tradition, Saint Nicholas is the real person who served as the model for Santa Claus as we know him today.
He was a bishop of Myra (present-day Demre, Turkey) in the fourth century and is renowned for his kindness, charity, and healing abilities.
Around 270 AD, Saint Nicholas was born in the village of Patara in the Roman province of Lycia (modern-day Turkey).
He was raised in an affluent Christian household after losing his parents when he was a small child and inheriting a considerable fortune.
Nicholas lived out his faith via charitable deeds, dedicating his life to helping others rather than hoarding the wealth for himself.
Saint Nicholas’ kindness and miracles are highlighted in a number of stories. Several of the most well-known are as follows:
The Three Sisters’ Dowries: A poor man in Myra had three daughters, but he was unable to provide dowries for them, putting them at risk of being sold into slavery or living in poverty.
Legend has it that Saint Nicholas supplied dowries covertly by flinging sacks of gold through their window at night.
According to some versions of the narrative, he dropped the gold down the chimney, landing it in stockings that were left by the fire to dry. This particular detail served as the inspiration for the custom of wearing stockings for Christmas.
As the patron saint of sailors, Saint Nicholas is also regarded as a hero for saving sailors at sea.
According to one version, Jesus used his prayers to save the ship and her crew during a voyage by calming a violent storm.
As word of this tale spread, sailors started to ask him for protection when they were at sea.
Three children who had been killed by a butcher during a famine are said to have been brought back to life by Saint Nicholas in another well-known story.
In this tale, Saint Nicholas magically brought the children back to life after they had been dismembered and concealed in barrels.
His reputation as a child protector was bolstered by this story.
It was well known that Saint Nicholas would covertly leave presents for the underprivileged.He became a symbol of unselfish giving and was well admired for his generosity.
Saint Nicholas’ feast day gained widespread celebration in Europe following his death on December 6 (the exact year is unknown, but it is thought to have occurred between 343 and 352 AD).
His mythology spread over the ages, assimilating into regional traditions.Saint Nicholas, who is commemorated on December 5 or 6, became known as Sinterklaas in the Netherlands.
Dutch immigrants introduced the Sinterklaas custom to America, where it developed into the contemporary Santa Claus, further influenced by popular culture like the famous Coca-Cola ads from the 20th century and the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” by Clement Clarke Moore.
Many groups, including children, merchants, sailors, the innocent, and those falsely accused, are patronized by Saint Nicholas.
Saint Nicholas is frequently portrayed in icons as a bishop with a staff, accompanied by gold coins, children, or ships that represent his patronage and miracles.
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