A Christian scroll discovered in a Japanese museum is believed to be one of the oldest in the country.

The scroll was discovered at Sawada Miki Kinenkan museum in the Kanagawa prefecture. The museum is known for collecting Christian artifacts.

According to Japanese newspaper The Mainichi, an inscription on the scroll reads “1592 years since His birth” which leads some historians as to when the scroll was written. Carbon dating has the scroll being created before 1633. This would place the creation of the scroll during a time of horrendous Christian persecution in the country.

Saint Francis Xavier brought Christianity to Japan in 1549, although; some historians believe Nestorian Christians could had arrived in the 400s.

By the 1580s, more than 200,000 Christians were in Japan, including some of the countries leaders. In 1588, the emperor Cambacundono commander ordered all Jesuit missionaries to leave within six months.

The scroll is rare being that most Christian artifacts were destroyed after the ban in 1612. The scroll is currently on display.

Several places of Christian importance in Japan have gained popularity after the UN recognized some as UNESCO World Heritage sites, and the beatification of a Catholic samurai and martyr named Justo Takayama Ukon.

Source: Cruxnow