Week of April 4

### Archaeology

**The “True” Cana? New Evidence at Khirbet Qana** * Archaeologists in northern Israel uncovered underground worship caves at Khirbet Qana dating to the 3rd century. * Findings include a “Lord Jesus” inscription and a stone altar with six jars, matching the biblical account of the wedding at Cana. * Excavators argue this site aligns better with Roman-period Jewish village structures than the traditional site of Kafr Kanna. *

**Source:** [ColombiaOne / Biblical Archaeology] (https://colombiaone.com/2026/04/04/jesus-first-miracle-true-location/)

**Restoration of the “Good Shepherd” Fresco** * Experts at the Hisardere necropolis in Turkey have begun restoring a rare 3rd-century fresco of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. * This find is one of the earliest known depictions of Christ in Anatolia, linking back to the pre-Constantinian Church. * The project is part of a larger Turkish effort to preserve Christian heritage through the “Heritage for the Future” plan. *

**Source:** [Turkish Archaeology News] (https://turkisharchaeonews.net/article/january-2026-turkish-archaeology)

### Middle East News

**Holy Week Diplomacy: Pope Calls for Truce** * Pope Leo XIV held urgent calls with world leaders on Good Friday, pleading for a cessation of hostilities for Easter. * The Vatican offered itself as a neutral venue for peace talks amid rising regional tensions involving Iran and Lebanon. * Jerusalem’s Church leaders issued a joint appeal for humanitarian aid for those suffering from war in the Holy Land. *

**Source:** [America Magazine] (https://www.americamagazine.org/vatican-dispatch/2026/04/03/pope-leo-israel-ukraine-zelensky-herzog/)

### Persecution Watch

**World Watch List 2026: Crisis Peaks** * Open Doors reports that 388 million Christians now face high levels of persecution, with Syria seeing a record spike. * Nigeria remains the deadliest nation, accounting for over 70% of global faith-related killings this past year. * Militant networks in Sub-Saharan Africa are exploiting weak governance to target Christian communities with increasing frequency. *

**Source:** [Open Doors International] (https://www.opendoors.org/persecution/WWL-2026-International-Advocacy-Report.pdf) —

### Academic & Theology

**Digitization of Lambeth Palace Manuscripts** * The CSNTM has released a digital update providing free, high-resolution access to two dozen ancient Greek manuscripts. * These tools allow researchers to study unique scribal features that were previously inaccessible to the general public. * The project aims to preserve New Testament witnesses against potential loss due to environmental decay or global conflict. *

**Source:** [CSNTM Database] (https://www.csntm.org/)

### Global Church Updates

**New Leadership and Legal Precedents** * Archbishop Sarah Mullally called for a renewal of the Church’s mission to protect the marginalized during a major address. * A landmark U.S. court ruling protected the First Amendment rights of Christian counselors regarding religious speech. * In the UK, a prominent Christian charity faced asset freezes after failing to provide transparent accounting for years. *

**Source:** [Religion Media Centre] (https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/morning-news-bulletin/religion-news-1-april-2026/)