One Ring to Rule Them All...

Celtic Christian sacred sites and memorials, many of them reaching beyond historical records, are omnipresent in west Scotland today.  But, it was not always so.

March 27, 2017  Hadrian's Wall at Cawfields

Just over the edge of the northwestern armed border of the Roman Empire (defined by Hadrian's Wall), Scotland was considered ceded by classical civilization as a wild and pagan barbarian land.

The question is, "So, when was wild Scotland evangelized?"

March 21, 2017  War Memorial Cross, Paisley Abbey  

Conflicting accounts (or tales) claim Christianity was initially brought to Britannia by a variety of Apostles immediately following the Crucifixion of Christ at Jerusalem.  Most often proffered are:  Joseph of Arimathea, or the Apostle Paul during his "missing six years". This folk lore largely began circulating after the Norman Conquest in 1066 A.D.  It linked the introduction of Christianity in Britannia to the Apostles.  While plausible, it is not taken as factual, with one notable exception.

What is fact, however, is that Christianity was known to Rome's Legions.  So, at minimum, Lowland Scotland received the Gospel contemporaneous with Britannia, as the faith was brought upon the backs of Rome's Legions to the "Old North" buffer states--like the Votadini--along Hadrian's Wall.

Though typically considered as such, Hadrian's Wall was not the limit of Rome's reach in the British Isles.  Many Roman garrison forts (and settlements) supported the Antonine Wall, 100 miles further north and built 20 years (c. 142 to 144 A.D.) after  Hadrian's Wall was constructed (c. 122 to 130 A.D.)...both defensive fortifications were built late in the first Christian century.

April 4, 2018  "Sycamore Gap"--Hadrian's Wall

Even earlier (though occupied for a far shorter time), the Gask Ridge Roman defensive fortifications (c. 70 to 80 A.D.) were built north of the Antonine Wall.  Ongoing archaeology suggests that these Roman defenses were actually re-occupied and repaired several times.  So the influence of Rome penetrated deeply into Caledonia, over an extended time.

March 27, 2017--Walltown Crags, Hadrian's Wall

Further, Roman coastal forts and settlements also existed, like Carpow at the Firth of Tay, supported from the sea by the Roman fleet.  Carpow was established essentially adjacent to Clatchard Craig, an important site that was continuously occupied since the early Neolithic Age (c. 4000 B.C.) by predecessors to the people Rome knew as Otalini.

Carpow, a maritime Roman installation with a substantial granary, is assumed to have been Horrea Classis, Rome's naval base in the region.  Pottery and coin finds indicate that Capow, a considerable distance north of Hadrian's Wall, was occupied from 180 A.D. to at least as late as 217 A.D. under emperor Caracalla--during the late second Christian century.

As Carpow indicates, Roman forts or settlements paired alongside native "Caledonian" settlements created cultural exchange.  As an example of the potential cultural exchange, Roman inscriptions at the Antonine Wall attribute its construction to Legio sexta victrix, "The Victorious Sixth Legion".  The Sixth Legion returned to Judea in 69 A.D. and fought in the Jewish War (66 - 73 A.D.)  The implication being that this legion had direct experience and with some of the earliest of all Christians in the empire.

In this cultural exchange, on the whole, Christianity was likely introduced into present day Scotland.

April 4, 2018--Hadrian's Wall

In terms of early documentation, Hippolytus (c. 170 - 235 A.D.) claimed that the Disciple Aristobulus evangelized Britain.  According to Hippolytus, Aristobulus (see: Romans 16:10) was one of the 70 Apostles sent out by Christ (see: Luke 10:1). 

Aristobulus is considered (by the Orthodox Church) to have been the brother of the Apostle Barnabas, a Greek Cypriot.  The Orthodox say Aristobulus was the first Bishop of Britannia.  Interestingly however, Hippolytus said Simon the Zealot (not Aristobulus) was the first Bishop of Britannia.  According to Hippolytus, Simon made at least two trips there.

One of the most obscure Apostles, Simon the Zealot is variously claimed to have been martyred in--Lebanon, Jerusalem, Samaria, Persia and Georgia (Iberia).  But, with a specificity not given to the other traditions, Simon is also said to have been martyred in Britain on May 10, 61 A.D. by Catus Decianus, Roman Procurator of Britannia at Caistor (Linconshire) under the infamous Emperor Nero.

Hippolytus' early account was recorded over 800 years prior to the Norman conquest at Hastings in 1066 A.D.  That is significant because, after the Norman conquest, claims that Christianity in Britannia was ushered in by the Apostles found circulation.  Perhaps as a means to foster nationalism or bolster claims of seniority in the ecclesiastical hierarchy.

While the history of early Christianity in Britannia (and Caledonia) is obscure, Britannia certainly had Christian communities, at a relatively early date.

March 29, 2017  The Aemilia Ring

As for direct physical evidence, the "Aemilia Ring" (now housed in the Hancock Museum at Newcastle) is thought to be the earliest known Christian artifact discovered in Britain. It is truly precious beyond measure.

The Aemilia Ring was discovered in 1840 at Corbridge, locally called Coria, a tribal center of Brythonic Celtic Otalini (or Votadini) at least as early as 800 B.C.

Corbridge, the most northerly town in Roman Britannia, was a strategic location--on the lowest fordable part of the Tyne River.  Therefore, economically, it was an important trading crossroads at the junction of the Stanegate Road (which ran east-west along Hadrian's Wall from Newcastle to Carlisle) and Dere Street, the north-south trunk road from Eboracum (York) to the Antonine Wall.

The gold Aemilia Ring, is complex in its design, considering goldsmith tools in that age.  The ring dates from the late 2nd to early 3rd century A.D. (180 to 220 A.D.)--roughly contemporary with the histories written by Hippolytus.

180 A.D., the earliest potential date on the Aemilia Ring, was a turning point in Western history.  Marcus Aurelius (last of the "Five Good Emperors") died and was replaced his 18-year old son, Commodus--the mad Emperor subject of the 2000 Hollywood film "Gladiator".

180 A.D. was also the year in which Corbridge was mostly burned by an invasion of the Caldeonians (by this time normally called "Picts") across Hadrian's Wall.  Generally considered an internationally peaceful period during the first decade under the mad Commodus, a few revolts nevertheless boiled over.  The statesman and historian Cassius Dio, a contemporary of this time, noted:  "the greatest struggle was the one with the Britons".

"The tribes of that island, crossing the wall that separated them from the Roman legions, proceeded to do much mischief and cut down a general together with his troops."   That general was possibly Caerellius Oriscus.  It took Rome until 184 A.D. to bring the British revolt to heel.

"Born in the purple," Commodus eventually proved a megalomaniac.  His first act as Emperor was to devalue Roman currency, the largest devaluation since the reign of Nero over 110 years earlier.  Cassius Dio said of Commodus that his accession marked Rome's descent:  "from a kingdom of gold, to one of iron and rust."

March 29, 2017  Aemilia Ring, Newcastle

Cassius Dio's first hand account stated that Commodus' "great simplicity, however, together with his cowardice, made him the slave of his companions."

The Aemilia Ring, thought to be a Christian betrothal gift, likely witnessed all of these events from  distant  Britannia...the dark days of Commodus, and his ultimate assassination on December 31, 192 A.D. and the following chaos of 193 A.D.--"The Year of Five Emperors" as Rome descended into one of its many internecine civil wars, ultimately resulting in Septimius Severus seizing the throne.

And the Aemilia Ring very well may have even witnessed the day of Emperor Severus's death in Britannia, at York in February 211 A.D.

As for direct evidence of the beginning of Christianity in present day Scotland, one more story needs telling.

For the most part, Rome had abandoned Scotland by the end of the 160s A.D.--with the  proviso being that several re-occupations of former strongholds occurred.

Generally, to keep their borders secure, Rome often used bribes to client and buffer states like the Votadini.  A stunning confirmation of this practice was unearthed in 1921 during excavations at Traprain Law, a hill fort that had been occupied since 1000 B.C.  Thought to have been the capitol of the Votadini, at some point in the early 5th century (c. 410 to 425 A.D.) a cache of Roman silver scrap was buried at Traprain Law, just south of the Firth of Forth. 

The hoard consisted of 22 kilograms (over 48 pounds) of silver vessels and tableware (over 250 pieces), most cut for melting into bullion.  Within this hoard, several Christian objects--a silver bowl with the Christian sign of the fish and a silver spoon clearly bearing the Chi-Rho Latin symbol for Christ--were discovered.

Silver spoon, stamped with the Christian symbol Chi Rho--Traprain Law hoard 

Thus, Christianity was clearly in evidence in Scotland by the time the Romans abandoned Britannia in 411 A.D.  As argued, however, it likely found its way into Scotland as early as mid-first century of the Christian era, through the evangelizing of the Disciple Aristobulus and Apostle Simon, the Zealot, and certainly upon the backs of the Roman legions by the late 100s A.D.

March 29, 2017  The Aemilia Ring on display  Hancock Museum, Newcastle