Early Christian Archaeology

At the end of the 3rd century, private portraits of the deceased were introduced into the Christian funerary art at Rome, on sarcophagi as well as in catacomb paintings. For over a century they remained the most
important, and the single most widespread motif, in the grave imagery – but then they disappear, along with their sarcophagi and catacomb burials, at the end of antiquity. The reasons for this disappearance have generally been ascribed to the cultural changes of the late Roman imperium. But, I argue, it is possible to identify a more precise motive for the interruption of this phenomenon: the portraits themselves have a highly communicative and also performative character, as they were often intended to stare at the bereaved and communicate directly with those who come and visit the tomb, often for specific cultic and ritual activities of commemoration, such as the refrigeria at the tombs of the deceased. And there seems to be a clear moment when this Roman tradition ends: following the prescription of Augustine and Ambrose, Christians abandon the meal celebrated at the tomb itself, and replace it with a Eucharistic meal celebrated at the church. This is the moment when the place of physical burial and the place of the burial cult were no longer the same – which meant that the image at the tomb, the former ‘window’ through which the deceased had been viewed and remembered, was now useless. Confirmation of this hypothesis can be seen in the return of grave portraits from the early medieval period onward, but only for exceptionally rich people. For there in the grave chapels containing both altars and portraits of the wealthy donors, the place of burial was once again united with the place of the cult – there the mass was now performed by the bereaved in both the physical
(the dead body) and artistic (the portrait) presence of the deceased.

The Shohet Scholars Grant Program of the International Catacomb Society is now accepting applications to the Shohet Scholars cohort of 2020-2021. Submission deadline is January 15, 2020.

This annual grant program funds research on the Ancient Mediterranean from the Hellenistic Era to the Early Middle Ages. Shohet Scholars may do their research in the fields of archaeology, art history, classical studies, history, comparative religions, or related subjects. Of special interest are interdisciplinary projects that approach traditional topics from new perspectives.

One or more Shohet Scholars will be selected each year. The primary intent of the grant is to support significant, innovative research that can be completed and reported upon within and shortly after the award period. Grants may be made to seed innovative approaches and new ideas or to cover specific expenses or phases of a larger project under the direction of the applicant. At this time, awards in the range of $2,000 to $30,000 will be made. The Shohet Scholars Program reserves the right not to make a grant in a year in which there are no applications meeting the requirements of the program. A complete history of past and present Shohet Scholars awards is available on the ICS webpage, www.catacombsociety.org.

Sessione pomeridiana, ore 15:00 Vittorio Rizzone L' iscrizione di Iulia Florentina: peculiarità linguistiche ed epigrafiche Martino Ruggieri La morte di Iulia Florentina: ipotesi diagnostiche Elena Commodari Iulia Florentina e la mors acerba: tra rappresentazioni e vissuti. Il punto di vista psicologico

The book of Jubilees is not regarded as part of the Western Biblical Canon, yet, in Ethiopia it is regarded as such. Should Biblical scholars take note of this book? This short introduction provides the reasons why this book should not be ignored by serious students of the Bible.

Background: The mathematical idea of Jesus Christ is ­ ~ ≤ X ≤ ~ and X = Y. Other mathematical ideas are the Cartesian coordinate system, n⁰ = 1 and ~, and n⁰ = 1 (X for the Lord ‘s day) and n ^n + 2 (Y for human’s day). Mathematically, it is scholarly that Christ came from heaven to earth and the dead people, and then came back to heaven through the earth. The gospel does not introduce a new Lord. There is no other Lord in Christianity, except Christ. The mathematical idea of - ~ ≤ X1 < ~ and X1 = Y1 is for Satan and the false prophet.
Objectives: To show mathematically that Jesus Christ is Lord and journey of Jesus Christ from heaven to earth and the world of the dead, then returned to heaven through this world. This journey is scholarly.
Methods: The n⁰ (X) and 10 ^2+n is mathematical ideas of days in God and human. The n⁰ = 1 and ~ in which -~≤ n ≤ ~ is for mathematical idea for one God. The ­ ~ ≤ X ≤ ~ and X = Y is mathematical idea for the spiritual journey of Jesus Christ. For the false prophet and Satan are - ~ ≤ X1 < ~ and X1 = Y1, and Cartesian coordinate systems were described.  Searched verses in the Bible manually and via the internet. Keywords included such as Christ, and the false prophet. 
Results: God in the Old Testament is the same as God in the New Testament. In mathematics, God is the same as one and ~. Mathematics can show who is God. Christ is the same as God. There is no other Christ. God became man in Jesus Christ to preach the gospel to humans. He went to the earth of the dead to preach the gospel 3 days, returned to the earth, and then to the heaven. This is the spiritual journey. Emmanuel is God with us.  A Christian could catch up into paradise as Paul’s vision. It was from the earth. It was not from heaven. It is different with Jesus Christ’s journey. Paul’s vision shows that the man catch up from the world to heaven, returned to the earth and died. He needed to wait the advent of Christ to rise up him from the death. Christ is eternal forever. The man in Paul’s vision still needs to be rise by Christ on the day of the Lord. The - ~ ≤ X ≤ ~ and X = Y fills Quadrant 1, Quadrant 2, Quadrant 3, and Quadrant 4 in the Cartesian coordinate system. Mathematical idea of -~ ≤ X=Y ≤ ~ is first the evidence as spiritual journey of Jesus Christ as the Father, Son, and the Spirit. The Cartesian coordinate system is the second evidence of the journey. Another evidence in mathematical idea, the third evidence, of the Father, Son and the Spirit is n⁰ = 1, ~. For example, if n is 1, 2, 3, the result is 1⁰ = 2⁰ = 3⁰ = 1. It shows that the Father, the Son, and the Spirit is one. The forth evidence is day in the Lord and day in human. Its mathematical idea is n⁰ = 1 (the Lord’s day) and n^n+2 (human’s day). Satan was from heaven and was thrown into the earth. It was not a spiritual journey. Satan, his angels and the false prophet have been thrown into the hell.  The mathematical model of the false prophet is - ~ ≤ X1 < ~ and X1 = Y1.
Conclusions: Jesus Christ is the Lord and scholarly. There is only one Lord Jesus Christ. The ­ ~ ≤ X ≤ ~ and X = Y shows that Jesus Christ is the Lord. Ten mathematical ideas or evidences can demonstrate the relationship between God, Jesus Christ, and the Spirit. This relationship also shows the Spiritual Journey of Jesus Christ. These include n⁰ = 1and~ , n0⁰ (X) and n^2+n, -~ ≤ X=Y ≤ ~, and the Cartesian coordinate systems. The false prophet has mathematic idea as - ~ ≤ X1 < ~ and X1 = Y1.

Comprehensive overview of the development of garden and gardening in Ireland from early times to the mid-17th century. Sections on Prehistoric Gardening, The Early Christian Period, The Medieval Period, The Elizabethan and Early Stuart Period.  Traces introduction of cultivated plants, their use and the forms and sizes of gardens and influences on their development

This papers examines three early Christian memorial sites in Jerusalem and Bethlehem (church of the Nativity, Eleona church on the Mount of Olives, and Church of the Resurrection) erected in the 330s in the time of Constantine the Great and his mother Helena. All three churches included rock caves as memorial sites. The paper shows that the three differing variants of architectural staging of these caves within the memorial buildings weren‘t merely architectural attempts found within the framework of a process of architectural innovation, when it was a matter of finding adequate settings for a successful and rapidly expanding religious community and its places of remembrance.
The architectural analyses of the three building concepts provide specific insights into the ideas of the appropriate spatial and medial staging of a 'sacred place'. I suggest that the architectural presentation of the cave spaces within the new buildings was linked to the semantics of pre-Christian places of worship, in order to create an associative  context to the commemorated events easily recognizable by a contemporary visitor.

Sztuka Wczesnochrześcijańska jest książką wprowadzającą w zagadnienia najstarszej aktywności artystycznej - tak w dziedzinie architektury monumentalnej i prywatnej, jak i sztuk plastycznych (malarstwo, mozaika, rzeźba i drobna plastyka) - chrześcijan żyjących na terenie Cesarstwa Rzymskiego w szeroko rozumianym obrębie basenu Morza Śródziemnego w stuleciach od III do VII w. Autorka zwiedziła niemal wszystkie te tereny i zna większość omawianych zabytków z autopsji

Reference: Cracolici, Stefano. “Fabiola in cartolina: un percorso a ritroso da Guazzoni a Kanzler.” In Re-Thinking, Re-Making, Re-Living Christian Origins, edited by Ivan Foletti, Manuela Gianandrea, Serena Romano, and Elisabetta Scirocco, 253–79. Roma: Viella, 2018.

Bronze finds from the apse of the early Christian basilica, atop of which was built Saint Sophia’s church in Thessaloniki, are presented and discussed. Namely, a hammered cross-shaped, bronze polycandelon with three of its original glass lamps, and a monumental cast bronze
arch decorated with a wine scroll stemming from a kantharos vessel, and the last part of the dedicatory inscription, “ἀνέθετο”. The arch was probably decorating a ciborium over the Holy Table or a reliquary, or the entrance of the chancel screen, over which was probably set the polycandelon. The church was destroyed by an earthquake and the precious bronze finds were not recovered, as were not recovered the massive bronze polycandelon chains which had been found at the middle of the church’s central nave in older excavations. The finds present the most important surviving works of the local metalworking trade of the late 5th or 6th c.

The article aspires to show how physiognomy was used in late antique art in order to give substance to the theophanic dimension of a person, especially of a saint. Drawing on monumental art, sculpture, daily life objects and catacomb paintings or mosaics, it is possible to discern that the physiognomic features were used as iconographical attributes, which were adjusted depending on the context and of the degree of holiness of the person depicted (saints, deceased, patrons). Therefore, the article allows to follow the transition from portrait to 'icon' characterizing the late antique period.

The present paper studies the orientation of 32 churches in Thessalonike, that date from the 4th to the 20th century. It investigates whether there is a connection of their astronomical alignment to any significant solar date or to the date of the patron saint’s festival. The majority of buildings under investigation (16) follow the city grid, parallel with the roman decumanus maximus, the modern Egnatia street, that is aligned to the rising sun during the winter solstice. Buildings outside the roman city have a variety of orientations. There are 7 cases of alignment on the patron’s saint day (5 positive and 2 indecisive). However, the alignent may be to the sunrise (3) or to the byzantine Third Hour (4), the time the Divine Liturgy reaches its climax. This has greater consequencies for the study of the orientation of byzantine churches, as it points to multiple solutions to the problem of the orientation towards the sunrise on patron saint’s feast day.

Portions of the Canon of Hippolytus are found on perhaps the earliest datable piece of Christian archaeology: the "Statue of Hippolytus." This article discusses the inscriptions in detail

The full article may be freely accessed at the following website
https://tcschmidtblog.files.wordpress.com/2022/02/schmidt-canon-of-hippolytus.pdf

“Canon, Hippolytus.” In The Brill Encyclopedia of Early Christianity, edited by David G. Hunter, Paul J.J. van Geest, and Bert Jan Lietaert Peerbolte, 2022.