Deep below the streets of Rome lie the ancient catacombs where early Christians buried their dead and sustained hope for eternal life. About the same time as the persecution of Decius, middle of ...

Bodies of Christians were exhumed from the catacombs of Rome, or underground cemeteries. According to the Rome Museum, construction of the catacombs began in the 2nd century and lasted for ...

Probably there are a number of lost catacombs, too." The oldest tunnels date back to the first century. "The Jewish community in Rome built them as cemeteries. Christian catacombs came a century ...

These catacombs mark a definitive period in ancient Roman history: the gradual takeover of the Roman Empire by Christianity. Adhering to Roman law, the catacombs are located just outside of the ...

In the long run, it was Christianity in Rome that kind of emerged at the top ... position of prayer that we see so prominently in the catacombs. ...[W]hat is very important to recognize is that ...

They are also significant in artistic terms because of their richly decorated murals of outstanding quality depicting Christian themes. The Roman cemetery was found by archaeological excavations which ...