Video 1: Christianity from Judaism to Constantine

● This video gives an overview of Jesus and early Christianity in the context of Roman
history.
● A Roman coin bearing the inscription of Emperor Augustus as the "son of God" is
indicative of the kinds of religious ideas circulating at the time.
● Jesus was born into a Jewish family and was steeped in Jewish messianic traditions that
believed in a savior-like figure.
● The Hebrews were polytheists-they believed in multiple before they became monotheistic
and developed their covenantal relationship with Yahweh.
● Abraham's covenant with God made the Hebrews the "Chosen People," an idea that
became the very foundation of Jewish identity.
● The Jewish God was singularly unique because, as a transcendent, incorporeal, and
moralistic deity, He influenced not simply religious but ethical ideas as well.
● By the time Jesus was born, Judea was under the control of the Roman Empire under the
rule of Herod the Great and then Herod Antipas.
● Greek theatre and rationalism - in the Hellenistic influences - resulted in the resistive
movements in the Jewish community, giving birth to the Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes,
and Zealots.
● Jesus' preaching on peace, love, and justice aimed at the poor and oppressed against the
established authorities.
● As he taught some radical values - meekness being a value, and the downtrodden being
blessed - he was crucified by the Romans.
● His followers, after his death, believed him to be the Messiah and lots of interest was
evinced in what he had to say.
● Early Christian beliefs coincided with the Jewish prophecies about the savior and thus
attracted a lot of people who were not happy with the Roman rule.
● Apostle Paul was perhaps instrumental in spreading Christianity, more so among the
non-Jews, since this was essentially against the rigid Jewish traditions.
● The fish symbol, otherwise known as "Ichthys," came out as an undercover attribute for
early Christians.
● The universal language and structure of the Roman Empire facilitated the spread of
Christianity.
● Even as the Roman Empire fell, the concepts of Christianity continued to reach across the
Mediterranean offering salvation and, more importantly, a system of ethics in opposition
to Roman pantheism.
● The evangelization of Emperor Constantine into the religion solidified Christianity's
place within the Roman Empire.

Video 2: Early Christian Art

● The span between 30 and 300 CE corresponds to the Byzantine period, although
Constantine is more of a transitional figure.
● Early Christian architecture was developed from Roman temple types to church plan
types, which shows a major diversification of structure.
● Early Christian art borrowed much from Roman pagan stylistic features and used neutral
images and turned them into Christian messages
● Iconography often used symbolic imagery rather than a literal depiction of Jesus.
● Alpha and Omega, Chi-Rho, the dove with an olive branch, as well as the fish, proved to
be the more common symbols in early Christian art.
● The Common locations of Christian art could be found within Roman Catacombs as well
as in the relief carvings of sarcophagi pre-dating Constantine.
● In Greek - I.X.Θ.Y.S. - translates to "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior" and was
commonly used during early Christian times and into modern usage in car decals, etc.

Video 3: Dura-Europos

● Dura-Europos is one of the most important archaeological sites in modern-day Syria and,
for this reason, it included one of the very first known Christian house churches. Because
of the location in the desert along the Euphrates River, this became a really
well-preserved site. The city was a real melting pot-it had Greeks, Romans, Jews,
Christians, and Persians. The mixture of cultures promoted enormous religious tolerance.
Among the religious structures was the following: A synagogue: adapted from a large
domestic building and with rich wall paintings.
● Mithraeum: Temple dedicated to the worship of Mithras, one of the most popular Roman
army gods. Christian House Church: Adaptation from a house to include in this church a
baptistry with frescoes related to Christ as the Good Shepherd as well as the miracles of
Christ

Video 4: The Good Shepherd in Early Christianity

● A three-and-a-half-foot tall marble statue of The Good Shepherd, shown below, is an

example of early Christian free-standing sculpture.
● The picture of the shepherd carrying an animal was borrowed from the ancient Greeks
and was transformed into a representation of Christ tending his flock. The Good
Shepherd is in contrapposto; this natural weight-shifting pose was first developed in
ancient Greece. Attention to detail in the sculpture, like the folds of the garment and the
life-like curls on the head, demonstrate an expertise in naturalistic expression.
● The Good Shepherd showed concern for care and salvation of promise; Christ had been a
shepherd to his flock.
● Video 5: Dura-Europos - Artistic and Cultural Context
● Dura-Europos was founded in 303 BCE by a successor of Alexander the Great and
further enhanced to become an essential merchant hub.
● It boasted of a multicultural population that included the Greeks, Romans, Jews, and
Christians, among others. This helped foster the growth of an unprecedented amount of
religious harmony amongst its people.
● We also have great religious structures, such as the earliest known synagogue and one of
the very first Christian churches, testifying to the coexistence of many faiths.
● Christian House Church: Frescoes of Adam and Eve, David and Goliath, Christ as the
Good Shepherd. The same type of Christ was used to show how He watches over the
people.
● Symbolism in Art: Processions of women, viewed in frescoes, were images for purity and
the journey of faith, common in multiple cultures.

Video 6: Catacombs of Priscilla

● The Catacombs of Priscilla in Rome, until their destruction, represented one of the most
extended burial sites in the city, housing some of the earliest known Christian art,
including the first representations of the Madonna and Child. The catacombs were built
under a villa belonging to a wealthy Roman woman named Priscilla, and by the 5th
century, about 40,000 people had been buried there. Other burial customs included
placing the bodies in loculi or cubicula, larger family rooms.
● Catacomb decorations included a variety of early Christian symbols, such as the anchor,
fish and Old and New Testament scenes. Many frescoes depict the miraculous, for
example, the resurrection of Lazarus.
● The Greek Chapel of the Catacombs includes The Good Shepherd iconography where
Christ is beardless surrounded by the symbols of eternal life.

Learning Objectives Covered

Describe the development of the Christian church's architecture:

● With the conversion of Constantine and the legalization of Christianity, church

architecture moved away from Roman temples to Christian church floor plans to suit the
purposes of the new religion.

Identify the sources of Early Christian iconography:

● Early Christian iconographies, like the fish ("Ichthys"), Chi-Rho, Alpha and Omega,
dove, and bread had their sources in Roman pagan culture but were recast with Christian
meaning.
● The Good Shepherd, originally Greek and Roman, came to be used as a representation of
Christ tending his flock.
● The usage of the Good Shepherd, fish, and anchor, amongst others, in catacombs, allow
for the beginnings of Christian iconography to be displayed

Describe the differences in the Byzantine & Early Christian art and architecture:

● Byzantine styles, in contrast to Early Christian art which had a naturalistic and symbolic
nature, were developed afterwards.
● The influence of Constantine allowed this artistic style to take further shape.

Explain the ways art was produced during this time:

● Early Christian artists used classical techniques, creating symbolic wall paintings and
reliefs in catacombs and sarcophagi.
● Frescoes were executed under poor light conditions; forms are simplified because of the
prohibition against idol-like images.

Describe the people who lived in this multi-ethnic town (Dura-Europos):

● Dura-Europos was inhabited by Greeks, Romans, Palmyrenes, Jews, Christians, and

Persians. The improbable combination and juxtaposition of these various cults create an
unparalleled religious tolerance at Dura-Europos.

Explain how the natural setting and the social/political entity of DuraEuropos
contributed to its preservation:

● The desert climate and interment after being besieged preserved the structures at
Dura-Europos and gave insight into a variety of early practices. The following is a close
reading of the iconography of the murals from the house church: Murals in the house
church at Dura-Europos, and also in the catacombs of Priscilla, represent Christ as the
Good Shepherd, depict scenes from his miracles and processions; themes that reflect
basic understandings about faith and salvation, and divine intervention.