andrewcriddle

I have uploaded onto the hypotyposeis blog a photocopy of a photograph of one of the pieces of Christian graffiti from the church at Dura Europus. (Found in the official excavation report.)

It leaves something to be desired in terms of quality but the XN IN (Christ Jesus) can be clearly seen.

Andrew Criddle

Toto

Interesting, Andrew. Who do you think Proclus / Proklou refers to? What is the connection with David and Goliath?

mountainman

Is the graffiti supposed to have been inside the "house church"
or at some other location at Dura Europa?

One report I read semed to mention that some of the material from
the dig was physically relocated from Dura Europa to the United
States, Yale University, in the early part of last century.

Are there any notes accompanying this photograph, stating exactly
what is being photographed, and where it is?

Thanks for this act of research. I should think it is definitely
contributionary to our fuller understanding of the claims made
about the "house church" at Dura. Exactly how, at the present
moment, I am not too sure. But thanks for the furtherance.

andrewcriddle

IMVHO Proclus (assuming the correctness of the reading here) is the author of the graffiti.

The graffiti was written over the David and Goliath mural in the house church but it does not seem to have any particular relevance to that specific mural.

Andrew Criddle

mountainman

The question is of course as to when
did Proclus (the G-Artist) vandalise the mural?

Also the question should be asked whether the mural is
still present at Dura Europa, or whether it was moved
somewhere else, and whether or not it was noted that
paint scrapings from the mural were on the floor at the
foot of the mural, and at what depth they lay, indicative
of how long they lay there.

mountainman

Thanks again for this reference. Since I have not been
able to obtain this book via the library system I have
attempted to order it from Amazon. Rest assured I
will make a full report upon receipt.

youngalexander

Geez Pete. I have been following this stuff (for some time) with an open and skeptical mind.
"Eusebius had little to do "?

Give me a break!

mountainman

That comment was made over a year ago.
Do you usually take that long to respond?
The point being made here was that Eusebius
was under sponsorship. He worked for the mafia.

He had "liitle to do" but to follow the orders
handed down to him by the boss man bullneck
during the period 312-324. He got a big kickback
in 325 at the Supremacy Party, and coasted
through the next 17 years until it was time for
him to pick up his theological romance pen again
and this time write "The Life of the Blessed Bullneck".

mountainman

Ancient non biblical historians.

Huon

I do not believe much in the possibility of finding many traces of the existence of Christian minorities during the IIIrd century. These traces could be churches, or palaeochristian sarcophagi. Or, as in Rome, catacombs.

1 - The poor people could simply not afford a sarcophagus. They did not leave any traces of their life. The rich people, who could have a sarcophagus, were probably not encouraged in drawing christian symbols on them. There certainly were anti-christian morons, who would break these christian tombs, now and then, as there are now anti-jewish morons who destroy jewish tombs.

2 - Here is a quote from Richard D. Weigel, Western Kentucky University
http://www.roman-emperors.org/gallval.htm
About Valerian (253-260) and Gallienus(253-268) :
3 – The countries which were christianized at that time are not necessarily christian now. For instance, Tunisia had an important christian population, and there are in the museums of Bardo in Tunis (Carthage) , and also in Sousse (Hadrumetum), some christian sarcophagi dating of the IVth century. These sarcophagi are considered “christians” because they are decorated with scenes originating in the OT (Jonas, Daniel, Noah, Adam and Eve…). The Moslems do not refuse these characters. And the traditions of christian ornamentation have changed between the IVth century and today.

4 – The ancient churches were not remarkable at all. They looked like modern Protestant temples, a vast room, without decorations. They cannot be identified as churches by archeologists. Secondly, old small churches are rebuilt from time to time. The new church is built over the remnants of the old church. The oldest churches of Bordeaux date from the XIIth century, and it is impossible to know what is under these churches.