The Catacombs of Rome, and Their Testimony Relative to Primitive Christianity

Burial passages beneath the countryside around Rome provide W. H. Withrow with evidence of early Christian belief and daily life. His illustrated study examines the construction and history of the catacombs before turning to their art, objects and inscriptions. Translated epitaphs and references to early church writers help him interpret the surviving material. The contents also trace the abandonment of the cemeteries and their later rediscovery and exploration.

Paintings and carvings of Noah, Isaac and Moses show how familiar biblical subjects acquired meanings connected with baptism, faith and salvation. Withrow discusses these images as religious testimony as well as works of art. His preface makes his Protestant perspective explicit, so readers can consider how that viewpoint shapes his conclusions. The book offers material for studying Christian symbolism and the ways a nineteenth-century writer used archaeological remains to argue about the beliefs of the early church.