The Arizona sentinel., 1888-02-04
ROMAN cATAcoMBs.
Skeletons of Early Christians That Are,
 Even Now Well Preserved.

Even Now Well Preserved.
 The Roman catacombs are long and narrow passages or cross-galleries, ex- cavated in the bowels of the earth. in the hills outside. and around the city. for the burial of the dead They are dark and gloomy, with only an occa- sional ray of light from above. The galleries have two or more stories, all filled with tombs; and form an in- tricatc' network or subterranean labyrinth. Small compartments (to- cuyiJ for the reception of the dead were cut ont like shelves in the per pendicular walls, and rectangular chambers (cubicnyaJ for 1amil1es or distinguished martyas. IAey~ were closed with a slab of marble or tile. The more wealthy were laid in sar- cophagi. The ceiling is flat, some- times slightly arched. Space was cconomized so as to leave room usual ly only for single person, the aver age width of the passages being two and one-half feet. This etonomy may be traced 10 the poverty of the early Christians, and also to their strong sense of community in life and in death. The little oratories with altars and Episcopal choirs cut in the tufa are probably of later construction, and could accommodate only few per- sons at time. They were suited for funeral services and private deyotions, but n ot for pnblic worship.
 The furniture of the Catacombs. is instructive and interesting, but most of it has been removed to churches and museums, and must be studied outside. Articles of ornament, rings, seals, bracelets, necklaces, mirrors. tooth-picks. ear-picks, buckles, brooches, rare coins, innumerable lamps of clay Qerra-cOtta) or of bronze (even of silver and ambcr) all sorts of tools, and in the case of chil- dren variety of playthings were in- closed with the dead. Many of these articles were carved with the mono gram of Christ or with other Christian symbols. (The lamps in Jewish cem- etelies generally bear q picture of the golden candlestick.)
 A great number of fasks and cups, with or without ornamentation, are also found, mostly outside of the graves and fastened 10 the grave-lids. These were formerly supposed to have been receptacles for tears, or. from the red, dried sediment in them. for the blood of martyrs. But later .arch@ologists consider them drink ing vessels used Tn the agape.. and oblations. A super stitious habit prevailed in the fourth century. although condemned by a council of Carthage (397) to give to the dead the cucharistic wine, ! or to put cup with the consecrated wine into the grave.
 | The instruments of torture which l the fertile imagination of credulous people had discovered, and which were made to prove that almost every Christian buried in the Catacombs was a martyr, are simply-implements of handicraft. The 5Hstinct of nature prompts the ..bereaved to deposit in the graves of their kindred and friends those things which were constantly nsed by them. The idea. prevailed also; to a large extent, that the future life was continuation of the occupa- tions and amusements of the present. but free from sin and imperfeetien.
 On opening the graves the skeleton frequently appears even now very well preservel; sometimes in dazzling whiteness, as covered with a .g4isten- ing glory, but falls into dust at the touch. Prot Pbalip Sthdf. iw Century.