Ancient Christian Book Found and Dated

Here's an interesting one for those of you who, like me, are interested in both archaeology and ancient texts.

What might be the oldest illustrated Christian book has been discovered in an Ethiopian monastery. The book dates from sometime between 330 and 650 A.D. It's really a remarkable find since books just don't normally hold up very well over time. The oldest complete book I own is about 275 years old and it's certainly not in the best shape. But this Ethiopian book of the Gospels had the advantage of being kept at relatively high altitude (7,000 feet) in an arid climate. If you're interested, here's a fascinating and thorough article discussing the discovery: Discovery of Earliest Illustrated Manuscript. The illustration below is a page from the book:

I think it remarkable that today, after so many centuries, we seem to be uncovering and discovering treasures like this so often. Perhaps it's just another way for God to remind us of our roots and call us back to faith.