The upper portion of the Nestorian Stone (Hsian monument), discovered by Jesuit missionaries in 1625 AD in the province of Shensi in China. The title of the stone reads, "A monument commemorating the propagation of the Ta-Chin luminous religion (Christianity) in the middle kingdom". The day of the stone's erection was called, "ta vao shen wan ji," meaning, "the great first of the Sabbath day". The use of Jewish terms for the days of the week in the heart of China indicates the powerful influence of the Nestorian Church in Asia. [previous document] [back to Index] [next document] [Approaching the End] .