1 Earliest Rome

4- R E L I G I O U S P L A C E S
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length of the north wall, divided into various sub-scenes. On the left, a representation
of the Lord's instruction to Eztkiel that he should prophesy over dry bones and bring
them to life. Note the various parts of dismembered bodies and the hand of the Lord
coming from the sky.
7. Single panel showing the discovery of Moses in the river and (on the right) Pharaoh
giving instructions that all male children of the Hebrews should be killed (Exodus
1.8-2.9). Note on the left Pharaoh's daughter naked in the river, holding Moses - who
is then handed to his Hebrew mother (above left).
8. Samuel anoints David, as first King of Israel (l Samuel 16.1-3).
9. To rah shrine.
10. The temple of Jerusalem; to the lelt a menorah; to the right Isaac on the pyre awaits
sacrifice by Abraham — while below stands the ram which wdl be substituted tor Isaac
(Genesis 22.1-191.
] 1. Probably the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem - a sale resting-place (or the Ark. (For
the debate on the interpretation of this panel, see Kraeling (1956) 105-13.)
12. Moses (or? Ezra; or? Joshua) reads the Law.
13. Two panels overpainted several times between A.D. 245 and 265: probably showing
David and Jacob.
4.15 The architecture of Christianity
In the century after the emperor Constantine (A.D. 307-37) the Christian
church developed new forms of religious architecture - forms that have survived
in the design of Christian churches to the present day. But in its earliest
years, no doubt partly from fear of persecution, Christian worship and teaching
seems to have taken place in inconspicuous settings. The so-called 'housechurches'
of the early Christian era were simply converted private residences,
perhaps sometimes just one part of a larger apartment block. It was only at the
end of the third century, and particularly under the support of Constantine,
that Christians sponsored conspicuous public places of worship; and they
adopted for many of these the architectural form of the traditional civic basilica
(commonly associated with the political, legal and commercial functions of
the Roman city-see 4.7). What had been the audience chamber of judges and
emperors, now became the audience chamber of Christ and his bishops.
See further: Vol. 1, 368-9, 376-7; Age of Spirituality (1979) 640-99;
Krautheimer (1979) 23-96*; Krautheimer (1980) 18-58; Mango (1986)
35-56*; L. M. White (1990) 102-39; for house-churches, Pietri (1978); for
the development of the Christian basilica, Ward-Perkins (1954); Krautheimer
(1967).
4.15a The house-church at Dura Europus (Syria) - ground plan
This house, originally built in the early third century A.D., underwent minor
alterations, probably in the 240s, to become a Christian centre. It was destroyed
in the 250s, in the same operations that buried the synagogue (4.14b). From the
outside, It remained indistinguishable from the neighbouring houses, which