Remains of St. John the Baptist Are Located; Found in Sozopol, Bulgaria Near the Black Sea

The Greek Reporter website reports today (August 4, 2010) that Bulgarian archeologists have found the remains of Saint John the Baptist in the island of Saint John, near the south coast of the Black Sea.

The box that archeologists found was buried in the base of the ancient church of the island protected by Saint John. This church was destroyed many years ago.

The box with the holy remains is made of stone, and was opened in the Archeological Museum in Sozopol, Bulgaria. There are two inscriptions in ancient Greek in the box. One says, "My Lord, mercy for your slave Thomas," and the other says "Saint John."

The remains were donated to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, and will be hosted in the local church in Sozopol -- a decision made by the Holy Synod.