Il-Umta'iyeh, Church I

The north church of  Il-Umta'iyeh was probably the oldest church in the town. The inscription giving the date 508 AD is rather the date of the addition, i.e. a small chamber addet to the south side of the chapel .

Sources:

1. Frank M. Trombley, Hellenic Religion and Christianization c. 370-529, Volume II, Brill 1995,p.320-321
2. Howard Crosby Butler: Early Churches in Syria. Fourth to Seventh Centuries. Princeton University Press, Princeton 1929, p. 42
3. Howard Crosby Butler eds.,  Syria: publications of the Princeton University Archaeological Expeditions to Syria in 1904 - 5 and 1909 (Div. 2, Sect. A ; 2) — 1909, p. 92