Testimony of the Catacombs.

[WhiteWings]

Click here to read a summary
Top left you will find a download link to the whole book in .pdf format.


An illuminating side-light is cast on the opinions of the early Christians by the inscriptions and emblems on the monuments in the Roman Catacombs. It is well known that from the end of the First to the end of the Fourth Century the early Christians buried their dead, probably with the knowledge and consent of the pagan authorities, in subterranean galleries excavated in the soft rock (tufa) that underlies Rome. These ancient cemeteries were first uncovered A.D. 1578. Already sixty excavations have been made extending five hundred and eighty-seven miles. More than six, some estimates say eight, million bodies are known to have been buried between A.D. 72 and A.D. 410. Eleven thousand epitaphs and inscriptions have been found; few dates are between A.D. 72 and 100; the most are from A.D. 150 to A.D. 410. The galleries are from three to five feet wide and eight feet high, and the niches for bodies are five tiers deep, one above another, each silent tenant in a separate cell. At the entrance of each cell is a tile or slab of marble, once securely cemented and inscribed with name, epitaph, or emblem. Haweis beautifully says in his "Conquering Cross:" "The public life of the early Christian was persecution above ground; his private life was prayer underground." The emblems and inscriptions are most suggestive. The principal device, scratched on slabs, carved on utensils and rings, and seen almost everywhere, is the Good Shepherd, surrounded by his flock and carrying a lamb. But most striking of all, he is found with a goat on his shoulder; which teaches us that even the wicked were at the early date regarded as the objects of the Savior's solicitude, after departing from this life.

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: Interesting......thanks for posting this. Blessings....

[WhiteWings]

(http://lh4.google.com/cindijh/R5NTsXWz3RI/AAAAAAAAAIk/GnfsyZfPmbI/christ%20catacombs_thumb%5B20%5D)
Goat on the shoulder.
Note that Jesus has short hair and no beard (in all pictures.

[WhiteWings]

Just some pictures from the catacombs. No horror stuff.

http://www.thenagain.info/webchron/westciv/earlychristian.html
http://images.library.yale.edu/digitalcollections/0/1968231.jpg
http://www.utexas.edu/courses/romanciv/Romancivimages18/eucharist.jpg
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/images/rome/catacombs/callixtus/resized/good-shepherd-pa-pd.jpg
http://www.jesuswalk.com/christian-symbols/images/2-fish-anchor.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Adam_&_Eve_01.jpg/114px-Adam_&_Eve_01.jpg
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_commissions/archeo/inglese/documents/rc_com_archeo_doc_20011010_catacroma_en.html

[Universalist Catholic]

I remember learning about Early Christian Art in Art History.  I could already sense that the early Church was much more joyful and humble in the early days than in the Medieval period.  In the medieval period, I started learning about all the bad stuff that started to happen, such as selling of saints bones, and worship of Magical reliquaries.

[WhiteWings]

Yesterday I've finished reading a free pdf book.
Lots of proof Christianity was all sunshine until Constantine started mixing it with his pagan roots.
A suprising thing, for me, is that Augustine's hell fire believes were less sadistic/severe as those held during the publishing of the book in 1899.

[WhiteWings]

I just noticed I mentioned a book several times but never gave a link. :mblush:
It's a lot of reading but the way the book is written it can be read 1 page a day.

Click here to read a summary
Top left you will find a download link to the whole book in .pdf format.