Cross of Bishop Timotheos
- Audio guide stop: 341
- Gallery: Room 65
- Culture: Late Christian Period
- Date: 14thC
- Object type: cross
- Materials: iron
- Museum number: EA71955
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is the Cross of Bishop Timotheos, a small but powerful artifact from the Late Christian Period, crafted from iron. It was discovered in Nubia at Qasr Ibrim, a site once central to a significant bishopric. This cross rested on the chest of a long-forgotten bishop who was buried with great urgency in the 14th century AD.
The cross is mentioned in two ancient scrolls left beneath the bishop’s body—one in Coptic and one in Arabic. These documents reveal that Bishop Timotheus was appointed in 1371 AD, with this cross symbolizing his authority as the leader of the church in Nubia.
Qasr Ibrim holds deep historical significance, having been a place of worship and governance through many centuries. Even in a time of turmoil, Christian life was still thriving here. This iron cross captures a rare and poignant moment of faith and history in medieval Nubia.
See it in person
Cross of Bishop Timotheos is on display in Room 65 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and type its audio guide stop number, 341, from the gallery label, or take a photo of it, to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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