The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-04-12
Biblical Research.

An interesting discovery has lately
been made In the catacombs of Domitilla.
one of the earliest in the neighborhood
of Rome. Flavia Domitilla, who owned
the splendid villa and grounds above
these catacombs, was a niece of the EN-
peror Domitian She became a Chris
tan and allowed her Christian brethren
to be buried within the precincts of her
estate; The isolated groups of crypts
made In the first century of our era were
enlarged and joined together in the two
succeeding centuries. One of these an
uque cu6tcMto, or chambers, has lately
been opened, and is absolutely UNIQUE
as to the style of its decoration, showing
that Christian symbolism had not grown
up at the time that it was made. II
looks more like room in Pompeiian
house than Christian crypt The name
of the proprietor or occupant of the tomb
is given as Ampliatus. This is a name
never given to men of rank, but only to
servants or freedmen; but the fact that
so much honor and labor were expended
on his burial showed that he must have
been man of distinction in the early
Christian brotherhood. Indeed, stair
case was provided, that pilgrims might
have direct communication from the
ground, and later careful RESERVATIONS
show that it was an honored tomb. Now,
St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Romans
XVI: (Revised Version, says Salute
Ampliatus, beloved in the Lord" The
writer in The Athen@una, from whom we
have gathered these facts, does not ven
ture to say that the Ampliatus whose
tomb has just been found is certainly the
Ampiiatus of Paul's Epistle; but there
Is, he says, no doubt that this Christian
tomb of Ampliatus was followed out and
decorated In the FIRST century, and there
Is no reason evident why it may not be
the resting-place of st. Paul's friend.
The name of Ampliatus, "Amp6ati," is
IN letters whose photographic style
would suggest the last half of the first
century or the first half of the second.
They are cut in marble, though probably
they were at first on plaster, but at a
somewhat later date replaced in marble.
Another inscription on marble in the
same cubicu5aena reads: "To Aurelia
Bonifatia, an incompatible wife, a woman
of true chastity, who lived % years, 2
months, days, and six hours. Inscribed
@AN 70 ALI k'4AeOuS anu OOIQlduuS
his son. This "Aurelius Ampliatus'
can hardly be the Ampliatus of Paul's
day, as his wife bears the name of Boni-
fatia (from 6onaln, Fataena, and not as is
generally believed, bonune facere), which
did not come into fashion till toward the
close oI the oooond century. He NAV
have been a descendant of the man in
whose honor the tomb was originally
built. Another late discovery in the
catacombs shows that the feast SO often
depicted there does not represent the
eucharist, or the agape, as has been sup
posed; but the heavenly banquet of which
the souls of the deceased are supposed to
partake. In the representation Just dis
covered by Rossi the deceased is repre-
sented as reclining at table, attended
by two allegorical figures, named Irene
or Peace, and "Agape," or Charity. To
one of them the inscription is addressed
-" Irene da caldana," or peace, give me
hot water" Ito mix with wine) and to
the other "Agape, mice mjhj," or
" Charity, mix for me. "-L5adependent.