Evening star., 1933-03-05

! the Jewel OF Titerius In some way net
quite clear. A brother Of the Grand
Turk had been taken captive by troops
of the pspacy or Of some Christian
prince fighting for Rome. Knowing
that this carven head Of Christ would
have tremendous value in the eyes OF
the church, the Turk offered 1t to Pope
Innocent VIII as ransom. The offer
was accepted, the Saracen prince was
freed, and the jewel came to Rome.
A likeness cut in an emerald neces-
sarily Is very small. The Christ por-
trait found by Thomas Heaphy in the
catacombS is life size. his notes tndi-
cate 1t was found in the catacombs
of Sts Achille and Metro, which De
Rossi, the Roman antiquarian. declares
originally were the Donatilla catacombs
and these. he asserts, unquestionably
were contemporary with Christ. All
the evidence is that the portrait might
well have been painted by man who
had seen Christ, might, indeed. have
been drawn from life and taken into
hiding during the long prosecutions.
That the work is first century seems be-
yond dispute.
st. Pressades Kerchief.
The head shows the familiar long,
esthetic face with flowing hair and
beard. The slant Of the brows, the
length and shape of the nose are the
same as in the traditional portraits. and
this is the more miraculous in that 1t
scarcely is possible that any OF the
great painters Of sacred art who throve
centuries after the crucifxion could
have seen the portrait Of the catacombs
discovered by Thomas Heaphy.
Among the Heaphy drawings just
found in the British Museum are
number OF other fascinating subjects,
together with notes on his investlga-
tions. He found at the little Church OF
st. Pressades at Rome a closely pro-
tected relic in the form OF kerchief
on which appears head Of Christ 1t
is reputed to be the work of st. Peter
and drawn from memory. The story is
that Pressades and Pudentiana, daugh-
tiers of Pudens and Claudia, British
couple of some consequence dwelling at
Rome in the palace Of Caractacus dur
ing the Neronian persecution. rescued
certain holy relics known to them. who
were secretly Christians. They rescued
these with the remains of certain mar
tyrs and inferred them in secret place
afterward consecrated as church. The
present Church of St. PreSsades is a
ninth century structure, but is known
to have been built on the site Of an
earlier church edifice. Peter, when in
Rome, was the guest Of the two Roman
girls and drew the head Of Christ from
memory at their request.
Helena. mother of Constantine, was
shown the sacred kerchief and was so
impressed that she had it incased in a
c3sket Of silver and enamel, and it is
that casket, with the kerchief within,
which Heaphy saw at St. Pressades.
Copies Of Peters head of Christ on the
kerchief closely resemble the Christ Of
the Catacombs
How many early Christians were IA
miliar with the Catacombs. printing is
uncertain, but the chances are that
many were 1t naturally would be an
object of curiosity and veneration. Ger
tain 1t is that likenesses found in widely
separated places bear a close resem-
blance to this original Even some Rus
sian ikons of the Christ head are strik-
ingly like the original
II. as seems likely, the Christ Of the
Catacombs is in fact an accurate like
ness. painters of the head of Jesus for
many centuries have been actonishingly
right in their conception of what the
Man of Sorrows looked like.