Overview

Bibliography

Rihab boasts the oldest church in the world. In June 2008, the Rihab Centre for Archaeological Studies announced that they had discovered the early church in a cave beneath the Church of St. George. Over 30 churches have been discovered in and around Rihab, but all date to the Byzantine period or later. This cave church, however, predated the Church of St. George, which the excavators argue was founded in 230 CE based on an inscription in the church's nave. But they misread the inscription; the Church of St. George was founded instead in 530 CE. The cave church beneath St. George was undoubtedly used earlier than 530, but the excavators found no specific evidence by which to date the church other than its use was prior to St. George.

The Church of St. George is a typical basilica church. Its mosaic floor is well preserved and part of the chancel screen is still intact. The church is associated with other rooms and buildings attached to the north and the west. Other churches from Rihab that are included in the project are a large triple apse church, inside of which a mosque has been built, and a double church that gives evidence of multiple later constructions in the church. None of these churches, however, has been published to date and thus some of the conclusions about the churches remains speculative.

The archaeological strata uncovered at the site, as illustrated in the site plan, date to the following periods:

	Islamic Period
	Byzantine Period
	Roman Period ?