The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-13

In early Christian art have shown TO US
that the early Christian church was rot
averse TO art, but on the contrary guilt
waited and practiced the fine arts.
BY the study Of inscriptions and burial
monuments no ordinary light has been
thrown upon the history Of the early her,
estes. Much OF the writing Of the early
centuries is liz the nature of apologize
The personality OF the writer. his bias.
his passion. often enter largely into the
writing. and the position Of his adversary
IL not unfrequentiy Jnisrepresented. The
incised marble or the rude fresco often
serve 10 correct these Misrepresentation.
thus telling unconseiousiy the true story
OF the life OF the early church
The geogra phicai field of Christian arch
aeoiogy Is naturally that territory Gnce
occupied by the early Christian church
and in which remains now exist Early
Christian documents. Inscriptions, church
81 mosaics. frescoes. etc. are the mate
rial which IL to be interpreted. Yet, we
must confess TO disappointment that the
actual finds have been so few compared
with the territory Great areas of early
Christian life and activity are almost en-
sirely barren of Christian monuments of
any character.
We know that in the fifth and sixth
centuries were fiourishing churches in Pal
estine OF which scarcely a trace remains.
Italy Northern Africa. Asia Minor. Gaul.
Spain and the Dalmatian coast are the
chief areas for the Christian archaeoio-
gist The forces of nature. the devastat-
Ing irruption OF the barbarous hordes
from the North the prosecutions OF the
imperial powers. and the wars and rival
ries Of opposing sects. have served 10
sweep away many noble and valuable
Christian monuments.
Italy has furnished us with the chief
monuments in the way of Christian art
and geography. From the days Of Bosio
600 10 the present time the catacomos
have been rich mine or Christian arch
aeoiogy while the city of Rome itself has
given up In the course OF excavation many
valuable relics of the early church. De
Ross may be said 10 have founded tho
scientific study OF these remains. With
indefatigahle patience and erudition he
has reduced 10 systematic form the labors
Of his predecessors and has with unerr-
Ing instinct opened some remarkable dis
coveries.
Recon, work in the cataeombs has been
carried on especially by wilpert. In the
discovering and interpreting OF cataeomh
frescoes Much OF the earlier work In
this direction Is inaccurate and has been
copied by all who have followed De Rossi.
Wilpert has also done much 10 throw light
on Christian symbolism.
In Roman Africa and iaui, lie Biant has
been and IL the greatest authority In the
Christian geography OF these regions.
publishing several hundred inscriptions
chiefly from the fourth to the sixth CEN
turtles
The work Of Huebner on the Christian
archaeology OF Spain has brought 10 our
knowledge about three hundred inscrip-
items from the fourth TO the eighth cen
turtles. These are mostly dated and SUI
flee 20 show that there was n large num-
Der Of fiourishing churches In Spain dur
Ing this period.
The Daimatian coast has In recent
years given us many valuable finds. The
antiquities Of Aqullela. which i'm the fifth
century was n second Rome have been
for many years known through the iahors
Of Bertoli. Zandonau Gregorutu and 9TH
ers. Two thousand inscriptions have been
unearthed here. and new ones are being
daily brought 10 Hight M Salona Meru-
siuac and ether places under the auspices
or the Austrian Imperial archaeological
commission. In formulate symbolism and
style they differ decidedly from those at
Rome, frequently giving light as 10 the
subjects and mode OF Christian baptism
Of the period. which Is the afth ard
fourth centuries
Asia Minor has been recently explored