The Oratory of St George in Rihab : The oldest extant Christian building or just another Byzantine church ?

The article discusses the dating of the Church of St George in Rihab through examination of the mosaic dedicatory inscription written in Greek, which marked the completion of the building. In the second to last line of text the inscription appears to date the completion of the edifice to the year “one hundred and twenty-four.” Given that most Christian inscriptions from Jordan and other regions that were once a part of the former Roman province of Arabia employ a chronological reckoning that dates from 22 March 106 C.E., two Jordanian scholars recently argued that this inscription dated to the year 230 C.E. Blumell and Cianca suggest instead, on the basis of the basilica plan, the mosaic decoration, and the differentiation of worship space, a later dating in the 6th century.