Stone steps built for Roman gatherings may have served a far holier purpose. New archaeological research on an ancient church in southwestern Turkey suggests that early Christians used the seating to teach men and women preparing for baptism, turning a Roman structure into a school for new believers.

The study, published in the journal Arkeoloji Dergisi and conducted by Ahmet Mörel and Nurittin Çelik of Süleyman Demirel University, focuses on the South Valley Church in the ancient city of Adada, in modern-day Isparta province. The church was built over an older Roman structure, possibly during the fifth or sixth century A.D., and its design includes three aisles, a large courtyard, and stone seating along the southern and western sides. The southern steps run about 15.55 meters, roughly 51 feet, and some of the western stones are carved to resemble lion paws.

Researchers believe the steps may have been used to teach catechumens, people receiving religious instruction before baptism. Passages along the southern side of the church connect to rooms near a possible baptismal area behind the apse, a layout that may have allowed those preparing for baptism to move through the building without entering the main worship space. The arrangement of the seating suggests it existed before the church was built, and the early Christians appear to have given it a new purpose.

The researchers are careful to say the teaching use is a possibility, not a proven fact. No inscriptions or written records confirm it, and the seating may also have accommodated worshippers during religious gatherings. Still, the layout points in that direction, and the possibility itself tells a story about how the early church worked: new believers were taught before they were baptized, and the teaching happened in a real place, among real people, in a building the church had made its own.

Carvings on one of the upper seating blocks add another layer to the story. The engravings show a small ship about 15 centimeters long, a human figure standing on the boat, and a symbol interpreted as the Tree of Life rising where a sail would normally appear. Researchers suggest the combination may carry religious meaning. One interpretation links the image to a traveler who encountered Christianity in the region, though no evidence confirms the person's identity or religious background.

Adada itself stood along routes connecting the Mediterranean coast with inland Anatolia, allowing trade and religious ideas to spread. Nearby Pisidian Antioch was among the cities visited by Saint Paul during his missionary journeys. Researchers have identified 13 churches in and around Adada, including six in its urban center and seven in nearby settlements, and the region has also yielded another early Christian church that may have hosted the First Council of Nicaea.

The South Valley Church preserves Roman walls and reused stone blocks, showing how older buildings became part of Christian architecture. Evidence indicates the site remained occupied until around the 12th century, reflecting centuries of change in the religious and architectural history of the city. What began as a Roman structure became, for hundreds of years, a place where the faith was taught and passed on.