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103-465: The construction of the baptistery began in the 12th century, probably on top of an existing structure; it underwent various reworkings in the following century, and was consecrated by Guido, patriarch of Grado, in 1281. Between 1370 and 1379 it was restored and adapted as a mausoleum for prince Francesco il Vecchio da Carrara and his wife, Fina Buzzaccarini. The latter oversaw the decorative work, entrusting it to Giusto de' Menabuoi (whose burial site

206-619: A communion meal. Initially, Christians kept the Jewish custom of fasting on Mondays and Thursdays. Later, the Christian fast days shifted to Wednesdays and Fridays (see Friday fast ) in remembrance of Judas' betrayal and the crucifixion. James was killed on the order of the high priest in AD 62. He was succeeded as leader of the Jerusalem church by Simeon , another relative of Jesus. During

309-439: A baptistery ( Variae 8.33). There are also examples of the transition from miraculous springs to baptisteries from Gregory of Tours (died c. 594) and Maximus, bishop of Turin (died c. 466). Baptisteries belong to a period of the church when great numbers of adult catechumens were baptized and immersion was the rule. They did not seem to be common before the emperors Gratian, Valentinian, and Theodosius made Christianity

412-436: A baptistery, provided a widely followed model. The baptistery might be twelve-sided, or even circular as at Pisa . In a narthex or anteroom , the catechumens were instructed and made their confession of faith before baptism. The main interior space centered upon the baptismal font ( piscina ), in which those to be baptized were thrice immersed. Three steps led down to the floor of the font, and over it might be suspended

515-475: A bishop in the early church would customarily baptize all the catechumens in his diocese and the rite was performed only three times a year, on certain holy days. Baptisteries were thus attached to the cathedral and not to the parish churches. In the Italian countryside a pieve was a church with a baptistery on which other churches without baptisteries depended. During the months when no baptisms occurred,

618-699: A city in Galilee . He was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist . Jesus began his own ministry when he was around 30 years old around the time of the Baptist's arrest and execution . Jesus' message centered on the coming of the Kingdom of God (in Jewish eschatology a future when God actively rules over the world in justice, mercy, and peace). Jesus urged his followers to repent in preparation for

721-615: A future king from the House of David who would establish and reign over an idealized kingdom. In the Second Temple period, there was no consensus on who the messiah would be or what he would do. Most commonly, he was imagined to be an end times son of David going about the business of "executing judgment, defeating the enemies of God, reigning over a restored Israel, [and] establishing unending peace". Yet, there were other kinds of messianic figures proposed as well—the perfect priest or

824-472: A gold or silver dove. The iconography of frescos or mosaics on the walls were commonly of the scenes in the life of Saint John the Baptist . The font was at first always of stone, but latterly metals were often used. The Lateran baptistery's font was fed by a natural spring. When the site had been the palatial dwelling of the Laterani, before Constantine presented it to Bishop Miltiades, the spring formed

927-688: A key locus of trade that made it the third-most important city of the Roman Empire. In the Book of Acts , it is said that it was at Antioch where followers of Jesus were first called Christians; it was also the location of the Incident at Antioch , described in the Epistle to the Galatians . It was the site of an early church traditionally said to be founded by Peter; later traditions also attributed

1030-510: A ruin near modern Corinth in southern Greece, was an early center of Christianity. According to the Acts of Apostles , Paul stayed eighteen months in Corinth to preach. He initially stayed with Aquila and Priscilla , and was later joined by Silas and Timothy . After he left Corinth, Apollo was sent from Ephesus by Priscilla to replace him. Paul returned to Corinth at least once. He wrote

1133-470: Is clear that the use of rétro effects was for Giusto a precise component willingly chosen to bring about an expressive and symbolic end: he was perhaps the only 14th century painter with the presence of mind to make conscious selections among these different pictorial languages. In the scene of the creation of the world the zodiac show Christ's function as Lord of cosmic time. God the Father can interrupt

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1236-538: Is considered a masterpiece. With respect to previous works, Padua must have been struck by the Romanesque and Byzantine rigidity, as can be seen in the Paradise of the baptistery's cupola : the scene is organized around a Christ Pantocrator , around which turns a hypnotic wheel with multi-layered spokes made of angels and saints, whose golden halos as seen from below seem to be the work of a magnificent goldsmith. At

1339-465: Is known for an apology addressed to Emperor Hadrian during his visit to Athens, contributing to early Christian literature. Aristeides and Athenagoras also wrote apologies during this time. By the second century, Athens likely had a significant Christian community, as Hygeinos , bishop of Rome, write a letter to the community in Athens in the year 139. Gortyn on Crete was allied with Rome and

1442-503: Is the start of a split between Jewish Christianity and Gentile (or Pauline) Christianity . While Jewish Christianity would remain important through the next few centuries, it would ultimately be pushed to the margins as Gentile Christianity became dominant. Jewish Christianity was also opposed by early Rabbinic Judaism , the successor to the Pharisees. When Peter left Jerusalem after Herod Agrippa I tried to kill him, James appears as

1545-658: Is traditionally identified as the founder of the Cypriot Orthodox Church. Damascus is the capital of Syria and claims to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. According to the New Testament, the Apostle Paul was converted on the Road to Damascus . In the three accounts ( Acts 9:1–20 , 22:1–22 , 26:1–24 ), he is described as being led by those he was traveling with, blinded by

1648-636: Is translated as " church " in most English translations of the New Testament . Many early Christians were merchants and others who had practical reasons for traveling to Asia Minor , Arabia , the Balkans , the Middle East , North Africa , and other regions. Over 40 such communities were established by the year 100, many in Anatolia , also known as Asia Minor, such as the Seven churches of Asia . By

1751-493: Is used in the Old Testament to designate Jewish kings and in some cases priests and prophets whose status was symbolized by being anointed with holy anointing oil . The term is most associated with King David , to whom God promised an eternal kingdom ( 2 Samuel 7:11–17 ). After the destruction of David's kingdom and lineage, this promise was reaffirmed by the prophets Isaiah , Jeremiah , and Ezekiel , who foresaw

1854-845: The cross of Christ , after removing a Temple to Venus (attributed to Hadrian) that had been built over the site. Jerusalem had received special recognition in Canon VII of the First Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. The traditional founding date for the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre (which guards the Christian Holy places in the Holy Land) is 313, which corresponds with the date of the Edict of Milan promulgated by

1957-549: The 12 tribes of Israel (10 of which were "lost" by this time) to symbolize the full restoration of Israel that would be accomplished through him. The gospel accounts provide insight into what early Christians believed about Jesus. As the Christ or "Anointed One" (Greek: Christos ), Jesus is identified as the fulfillment of messianic prophecies in the Hebrew scriptures. Through the accounts of his miraculous virgin birth ,

2060-728: The Byzantine Empire , which lasted till 1453. The First seven Ecumenical Councils were held either in Western Anatolia or across the Bosphorus in Constantinople. Caesarea , on the seacoast just northwest of Jerusalem, at first Caesarea Maritima , then after 133 Caesarea Palaestina , was built by Herod the Great , c. 25–13 BC, and was the capital of Iudaea Province (6–132) and later Palaestina Prima . It

2163-684: The Council of Auxerre (578), they were sometimes used as such. The Florentine Antipope John XXIII (d. 1419) was buried in the Florence Baptistery , facing Florence Cathedral , with great ceremony, and a large and sculpturally important tomb by Donatello and his partner . Many of the early archbishops of Canterbury in England were buried in the baptistery at Canterbury. According to the records of early church councils, baptisteries were first built and used to correct what were considered

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2266-810: The Council of Serdica . Cyrene and the surrounding region of Cyrenaica or the North African " Pentapolis ", south of the Mediterranean from Greece, the northeastern part of modern Libya , was a Greek colony in North Africa later converted to a Roman province. In addition to Greeks and Romans, there was also a significant Jewish population , at least up to the Kitos War (115–117). According to Mark 15:21 , Simon of Cyrene carried Jesus' cross. Cyrenians are also mentioned in Acts 2:10 , 6:9 , 11:20 , 13:1 . According to Byzantine legend,

2369-671: The Crisis of the Third Century , Nicomedia became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire in 286. The Synod of Ancyra was held in 314. In 325 the emperor Constantine convoked the first Christian ecumenical council in Nicaea and in 330 moved the capital of the reunified empire to Byzantium (also an early Christian center and just across the Bosphorus from Anatolia , later called Constantinople ), referred to as

2472-660: The Danube River . The spread of Christianity among the Thracians and the emergence of centers of Christianity like Serdica (present day Sofia ), Philippopolis (present day Plovdiv ) and Durostorum (present day Silistra ) was likely to have begun with these early Apostolic missions . The first Christian monastery in Europe was founded in Thrace in 344 by Saint Athanasius near modern-day Chirpan , Bulgaria , following

2575-761: The First Epistle of Clement written to the Corinthian church, dated around 96. The bishops in Corinth include Apollo, Sosthenes , and Dionysius . Athens , the capital and largest city in Greece, was visited by Paul. He probably traveled by sea, arriving at Piraeus , the harbor of Athens, coming from Berœa of Macedonia around the year 53. According to Acts 17 , when he arrived at Athens, he immediately sent for Silas and Timotheos who had stayed behind in Berœa. While waiting for them, Paul explored Athens and visited

2678-552: The First Epistle to the Corinthians from Ephesus approximately in 54-55 which focused on sexual immorality, divorces, lawsuits, and resurrections. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians from Macedonia was written around 56 as a fourth letter discussing his proposed plans for the future, instructions, unity, and his defense of apostolic authority. The earliest evidence of the primacy of the Roman Church can be seen in

2781-731: The First Jewish-Roman War (AD   66–73), Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed after a brutal siege in AD   70. Prophecies of the Second Temple's destruction are found in the synoptic gospels , specifically in the Olivet Discourse . According to a tradition recorded by Eusebius and Epiphanius of Salamis , the Jerusalem church fled to Pella at the outbreak of the First Jewish Revolt . The church had returned to Jerusalem by AD 135, but

2884-556: The Florence Baptistery was built between 1059 and 1128, the Pisa Baptistery begun 1152 (replacing an older one) and completed in 1363, the Parma Baptistery was begun in 1196, Pistoia in 1303; all these have octagonal exteriors. The Siena Baptistery was begun in 1316, then left incomplete some decades later. Famous Italian baptisteries include: Famous French baptisteries include: Byzantine baptisteries of

2987-565: The Great Fire of AD 64. It is possible that Peter and Paul were in Rome and were martyred at this time. Nero was deposed in AD 68, and the persecution of Christians ceased. Under the emperors Vespasian ( r.  69–79 ) and Titus ( r.  79–81 ), Christians were largely ignored by the Roman government. The Emperor Domitian ( r.  81–96 ) authorized a new persecution against

3090-668: The Hebrew Bible called the Septuagint . The Septuagint was the translation of the Old Testament used by early Christians. Diaspora Jews continued to make pilgrimage to the Temple , but they started forming local religious institutions called synagogues as early as the 3rd century BC. The Maccabean Revolt caused Judaism to divide into competing sects with different theological and political goals, each adopting different stances towards Hellenization. The main sects were

3193-644: The Hellenistic period when the Ancient Near East underwent Hellenization (the spread of Greek culture ). Judaism was thereafter both culturally and politically part of the Hellenistic world; however, Hellenistic Judaism was stronger among diaspora Jews than among those living in the land of Israel. Diaspora Jews spoke Koine Greek , and the Jews of Alexandria produced a Greek translation of

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3296-680: The Holy Land and the Jewish diaspora throughout the Eastern Mediterranean . The first followers of Christianity were Jews who had converted to the faith, i.e. Jewish Christians , as well as Phoenicians , i.e. Lebanese Christians . Early Christianity contains the Apostolic Age and is followed by, and substantially overlaps with, the Patristic era . The Apostolic sees claim to have been founded by one or more of

3399-576: The Pauline epistles , letters written to various Christian congregations by Paul the Apostle in the 50s AD. The four canonical gospels of Matthew ( c.  AD 80  – c.  AD 90 ), Mark ( c.  AD 70 ), Luke ( c.  AD 80  – c.  AD 90 ), and John (written at the end of the 1st century) are ancient biographies of Jesus' life. Jesus grew up in Nazareth ,

3502-534: The Persian Empire permitted Jews to return to their homeland of Judea , there was no longer a native Jewish monarchy. Instead, political power devolved to the high priest , who served as an intermediary between the Jewish people and the empire. This arrangement continued after the region was conquered by Alexander the Great (356–323 BC). After Alexander's death, the region was ruled by Ptolemaic Egypt ( c.  301  – c.  200 BC ) and then

3605-632: The Persians in 614 or the Saracens around 637. The first major church historian, Eusebius of Caesarea , was a bishop, c. 314–339. F. J. A. Hort and Adolf von Harnack have argued that the Nicene Creed originated in Caesarea. The Caesarean text-type is recognized by many textual scholars as one of the earliest New Testament types. Paphos was the capital of the island of Cyprus during

3708-567: The Roman Empire . The central tenets of Second Temple Judaism revolved around monotheism and the belief that Jews were a chosen people . As part of their covenant with God , Jews were obligated to obey the Torah . In return, they were given the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem , where God dwelled in the Temple. Apocalyptic and wisdom literature had a major influence on Second Temple Judaism. Alexander's conquests initiated

3811-516: The Sadducees , Pharisees , and Essenes . The Sadducees were mainly Jerusalem aristocrats intent on maintaining control over Jewish politics and religion. Sadducee religion was focused on the Temple and its rituals. The Pharisees emphasized personal piety and interpreted the Torah in ways that provided religious guidance for daily life. Unlike Sadducees, the Pharisees believed in the resurrection of

3914-418: The Seleucid Empire ( c.  200  – c.  142 BC ). The anti-Jewish policies of Antiochus IV Epiphanes ( r.  175 – 164 BC ) sparked the Maccabean Revolt in 167   BC, which culminated in the establishment of an independent Judea under the Hasmoneans , who ruled as kings and high priests. This independence would last until 63   BC when Judea became a client state of

4017-422: The Synoptic Gospels , specifically in Jesus's Olivet Discourse . Romans had a negative perception of early Christians. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote that Christians were despised for their "abominations" and "hatred of humankind". The belief that Christians hated humankind could refer to their refusal to participate in social activities connected to pagan worship—these included most social activities such as

4120-551: The Thessalonians and to Philippi , which is often considered the first contact of Christianity with Europe. The Apostolic Father Polycarp wrote a letter to the Philippians , c. 125. Nicopolis was a city in the Roman province of Epirus Vetus , today a ruin on the northern part of the western Greek coast. In the Epistle to Titus , Paul said he intended to go there. It is possible that there were some Christians in its population. According to Eusebius , Origen (c. 185–254) stayed there for some time Ancient Corinth , today

4223-424: The apostles of Jesus , who are said to have dispersed from Jerusalem sometime after the crucifixion of Jesus , c. 26–33, perhaps following the Great Commission . Early Christians gathered in small private homes, known as house churches , but a city's whole Christian community would also be called a " church "—the Greek noun ἐκκλησία ( ekklesia ) literally means "assembly", "gathering", or "congregation" but

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4326-402: The baptistery or baptistry ( Old French baptisterie ; Latin baptisterium ; Greek βαπτιστήριον , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from βαπτίζειν , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned structure surrounding the baptismal font . The baptistery may be incorporated within the body of a church or cathedral , and provided with an altar as a chapel. In the early Church ,

4429-436: The catechumens were instructed and the sacrament of baptism was administered in the baptistery. The sacramental importance and sometimes architectural splendour of the baptistery reflect the historical importance of baptism to Christians. Beginning in the fourth century, baptisteries in Italy were often designed with an octagonal plan. The octagonal plan of the Lateran Baptistery , the first structure expressly built as

4532-417: The early Christian communities in Asia Minor , was the inclusion of Gentiles into God's New Covenant , sending the message that faith in Christ is sufficient for salvation . ( See also : Supersessionism , New Covenant , Antinomianism , Hellenistic Judaism , and Paul the Apostle and Judaism ). The Council of Jerusalem did not end the dispute, however. There are indications that James still believed

4635-429: The metropolitan see with the bishop of Jerusalem as one of its "suffragans" (subordinates). Origen (d. 254) compiled his Hexapla there and it held a famous library and theological school , St. Pamphilus (d. 309) was a noted scholar-priest. St. Gregory the Wonder-Worker (d. 270), St. Basil the Great (d. 379), and St. Jerome (d. 420) visited and studied at the library which was later destroyed, probably by

4738-461: The state religion in the Edict of Thessalonica (i.e. before the 4th century). As early as the 6th century, the baptismal font was commonly built in the porch of the church, before it was moved into the church itself. After the 9th century, with infant baptism increasingly the rule, few baptisteries were built. Some of the older baptisteries were so large that there are accounts of councils and synods being held in them. They had to be large because

4841-537: The theater , the army, sports, and classical literature . They also refused to worship the Roman emperor , like Jews. Nonetheless, Romans were more lenient to Jews compared to Gentile Christians. Some anti-Christian Romans further distinguished between Jews and Christians by claiming that Christianity was "apostasy" from Judaism. Celsus , for example, considered Jewish Christians to be hypocrites for claiming that they embraced their Jewish heritage. Emperor Nero persecuted Christians in Rome, whom he blamed for starting

4944-419: The 4th century, served as a baptistery and contained the tomb of the daughter of Constantine. This is a remarkably perfect structure with a central dome, columns, and mosaics of classical fashion. Two side niches contain the earliest known mosaics of distinctively Christian subjects. In one is represented Moses receiving the Old Law, in the other Christ delivers to Saint Peter the New Law charter, sealed with

5047-404: The 6th. A large baptistery decorated with mosaics was built in the 6th century at Naples . In the East, the metropolitan baptistery at Constantinople still stands at the side of the former patriarchal Church of Holy Wisdom . Many others, in Syria for example, were found in late 19th and early 20th-century archaeological research, as were some belonging to churches of North Africa . In France

5150-460: The Apostle Paul was from Tarsus (in south-central Anatolia) and his missionary journeys were primarily in Anatolia. The First Epistle of Peter ( 1:1–2 ) is addressed to Anatolian regions. On the southeast shore of the Black Sea , Pontus was a Greek colony mentioned three times in the New Testament. Inhabitants of Pontus were some of the first converts to Christianity. Pliny, governor in 110 , in his letters, addressed Christians in Pontus. Of

5253-488: The Christians. It was at this time that the Book of Revelation was written by John of Patmos . In the 2nd century, Roman Emperor Hadrian rebuilt Jerusalem as a Pagan city and renamed it Aelia Capitolina , erecting statues of Jupiter and himself on the site of the former Jewish Temple, the Temple Mount . In the years AD 132–136, Bar Kokhba led an unsuccessful revolt as a Jewish Messiah claimant , but Christians refused to acknowledge him as such. When Bar Kokhba

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5356-511: The Heaven which he had now entered, to love and save from destruction all who acknowledged him as Lord. For his followers, Jesus' death inaugurated a New Covenant between God and his people. The apostle Paul, in his epistles, taught that Jesus makes salvation possible. Through faith , believers experience union with Jesus and both share in his suffering and the hope of his resurrection. While they do not provide new information, non-Christian sources do confirm certain information found in

5459-423: The Holy Land: Emmaus Nicopolis Early Christianity Early Christianity , otherwise called the Early Church or Paleo-Christianity , describes the historical era of the Christian religion up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Christianity spread from the Levant , across the Roman Empire , and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in

5562-409: The Johannine works traditionally and plausibly occurred in Ephesus , c. 90–110, although some scholars argue for an origin in Syria . This includes the Book of Revelation , although modern Bible scholars believe that it to be authored by a different John, John of Patmos (a Greek island about 30 miles off the Anatolian coast), that mentions Seven churches of Asia . According to the New Testament,

5665-422: The Late Middle Ages, when baptisms were normally of infants , and used sprinkling with holy water rather than immersion. Instead, smaller fonts were placed inside the church. But in north Italy separate baptisteries revived, probably largely as an expression of civic pride, placed beside the cathedral, and often with a separate campanile or bell-tower. Among the more spectacular Romanesque and Gothic examples,

5768-424: The Roman Emperor Constantine the Great , which legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire. Jerusalem was later named as one of the Pentarchy , but this was never accepted by the Church of Rome . ( See also : East–West Schism#Prospects for reconciliation ). Antioch (modern Antakya , Turkey) was the capital of the Roman province of Syria and a center of Greek culture in the Eastern Mediterranean , as well as

5871-439: The Roman years and seat of a Roman commander. In 45 AD, the apostles Paul and Barnabas , who according to Acts 4:36 was "a native of Cyprus", came to Cyprus and reached Paphos preaching the message of Jesus, see also Acts 13:4–13 . According to Acts, the apostles were persecuted by the Romans but eventually succeeded in convincing the Roman commander Sergius Paulus to renounce his old religion in favour of Christianity. Barnabas

5974-504: The Torah (such as food laws , male circumcision , and Sabbath observance) gave rise to various answers. Some Christians demanded full observance of the Torah and required Gentile converts to become Jews. Others, such as Paul, believed that the Torah was no longer binding because of Jesus' death and resurrection. In the middle were Christians who believed Gentiles should follow some of the Torah but not all of it. In c.  48–50 AD , Barnabas and Paul went to Jerusalem to meet with

6077-399: The Torah was binding on Jewish Christians. Galatians 2:11-14 describe "people from James" causing Peter and other Jewish Christians in Antioch to break table fellowship with Gentiles. ( See also : Incident at Antioch ). Joel Marcus, professor of Christian origins, suggests that Peter's position may have lain somewhere between James and Paul, but that he probably leaned more toward James. This

6180-404: The XP monogram. The earliest surviving structure that was used as a baptistery is the tomb-like baptistery at Dura-Europas . Another baptistery of the earliest times has been excavated at Aquileia . Ruins of baptisteries have also been found at Salona and in Crete . At Ravenna are two noted baptisteries, decorated with fine mosaics . One was built in the mid-5th century, and the other in

6283-415: The altar itself. Painted on the walls surrounding the altar, in the apse, are monstrous figures and images of the Book of Revelation . In the tholobate are scenes from the book of Genesis , while prophets and evangelists look down from the pendentives ; and here a less Byzantine flair is demonstrated, presenting figures that have been inserted into life-like spaces illusionistically depicted. Also in

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6386-403: The baptistery doors were sealed with the bishop 's seal , a method of controlling the orthodoxy of all baptism in the diocese. Some baptisteries were divided into two parts to separate the sexes; or sometimes the church had two baptisteries, one for each sex. A fireplace was often provided to warm the neophytes after immersion. Though baptisteries were forbidden to be used as burial-places by

6489-414: The basin of the font, is an octagon around which stand eight porphyry columns, with marble capitals and entablature of classical form. Outside these are an ambulatory and outer walls forming a larger octagon. Attached to one side, toward the Lateran basilica, is a porch with two noble porphyry columns and richly carved capitals, bases and entablatures. The circular church of Santa Costanza , also of

6592-444: The beginning of the First Jewish–Roman War in AD 66. Jerusalem's bishops became suffragans (subordinates) of the Metropolitan bishop in nearby Caesarea , Interest in Jerusalem resumed with the pilgrimage of the Roman Empress Helena to the Holy Land ( c.  326–328 AD ). According to the church historian Socrates of Constantinople , Helena (with the assistance of Bishop Macarius of Jerusalem ) claimed to have found

6695-402: The celestial Son of Man who brings about the resurrection of the dead and the final judgment . Christianity centers on the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth , who lived c.  4 BC  – c.  AD 33 . Jesus left no writings of his own, and most information about him comes from early Christian writings that now form part of the New Testament . The earliest of these are

6798-403: The center of the Paradise is also the Mother of God . The paintings that cover the walls show scenes from the life of St. John the Baptist (to the left of the entrance), Mary, and Jesus. On the walls adjacent to the altar are represented the Crucifixion and the Descent of the Holy Spirit (frescoed on the cupola of the altar), and a large polyptych , also by Guisto de' Menabuoi, sits on

6901-542: The cities of Asia Minor . By the early 50s, he had moved on to Europe where he stopped in Philippi and then traveled to Thessalonica in Roman Macedonia . He then moved into mainland Greece, spending time in Athens and Corinth . While in Corinth, Paul wrote his Epistle to the Romans , indicating that there were already Christian groups in Rome . Some of these groups had been started by Paul's missionary associates Priscilla and Aquila and Epainetus . Social and professional networks played an important part in spreading

7004-406: The connection between Acts 15 and the seven Noahide laws. In roughly the same time period, rabbinic Jewish legal authorities made their circumcision requirement for Jewish boys even stricter. The primary issue which was addressed related to the requirement of circumcision , as the author of Acts relates, but other important matters arose as well, as the Apostolic Decree indicates. The dispute

7107-462: The course of natural events to manifest His will to mankind: which occurred during the three hours of darkness that accompanied the agony and death of Jesus. Through his angels, represented here, God dominates and neutralizes the influence of the planetary demons here in the world underneath the moon. 45°24′24″N 11°52′18″E  /  45.4068°N 11.8718°E  / 45.4068; 11.8718 Baptistery In Christian architecture

7210-541: The dead and an afterlife. The Essenes rejected Temple worship, which they believed was defiled by wicked priests. They were part of a broader apocalyptic movement in Judaism, which believed the end times were at hand when God would restore Israel. Roman rule exacerbated these religious tensions and led the radical Zealots to separate from the Pharisees. The territories of Roman Judea and Galilee were frequently troubled by insurrection and messianic claimants . Messiah ( Hebrew : meshiach ) means "anointed" and

7313-418: The disruptions severely weakened the Jerusalem church's influence over the wider Christian church . Jerusalem was the first center of the Christian Church according to the Book of Acts . The apostles lived and taught there for some time after Pentecost . James the Just, brother of Jesus was leader of the early Christian community in Jerusalem, and his other kinsmen likely held leadership positions in

7416-640: The earliest New Testament types. It had a significant Jewish population , of which Philo of Alexandria is probably its most known author. It produced superior scripture and notable church fathers, such as Clement, Origen, and Athanasius; also noteworthy were the nearby Desert Fathers . By the end of the era, Alexandria, Rome, and Antioch were accorded authority over nearby metropolitans . The Council of Nicaea in canon VI affirmed Alexandria's traditional authority over Egypt, Libya, and Pentapolis (North Africa) (the Diocese of Egypt ) and probably granted Alexandria

7519-621: The end of the first century , Christianity had already spread to Rome , Ethiopia , Alexandria , Armenia , Greece , and Syria , serving as foundations for the expansive spread of Christianity , eventually throughout the world. Christianity originated as a minor sect within Second Temple Judaism , a form of Judaism named after the Second Temple built c.  516 BC after the Babylonian captivity . While

7622-522: The evils arising from the practice of private baptism. As soon as Christianity had expanded so that baptism became the rule, and as immersion of adults gave place to sprinkling of infants, the ancient baptisteries were no longer necessary. They are still in general use, however, in Florence and Pisa. The Lateran Baptistery must be the earliest ecclesiastical building still in use. A large part of it remains as built by Constantine . The central area, with

7725-587: The extant letters of Ignatius of Antioch considered authentic , five of seven are to Anatolian cities, the sixth is to Polycarp . Smyrna was home to Polycarp, the bishop who reportedly knew the Apostle John personally, and probably also to his student Irenaeus . Papias of Hierapolis is also believed to have been a student of John the Apostle. In the 2nd century, Anatolia was home to Quartodecimanism , Montanism , Marcion of Sinope , and Melito of Sardis who recorded an early Christian Biblical canon . After

7828-452: The gospels present Jesus as the Son of God . The gospels describe the miracles of Jesus which served to authenticate his message and reveal a foretaste of the coming kingdom. The gospel accounts conclude with a description of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus , ultimately leading to his Ascension into Heaven . Jesus' victory over death became the central belief of Christianity. In

7931-580: The gospels. The Jewish historian Josephus referenced Jesus in his Antiquities of the Jews written c.  AD 95 . The paragraph, known as the Testimonium Flavianum , provides a brief summary of Jesus' life, but the original text has been altered by Christian interpolation . The first Roman author to reference Jesus is Tacitus ( c.  AD 56 – c.  120 ), who wrote that Christians "took their name from Christus who

8034-570: The kingdom's coming. His ethical teachings included loving one's enemies ( Matthew 5:44 ; Luke 6:28–35 ), giving alms and fasting in secret ( Matthew 6:4 –18), not serving both God and Mammon ( Matthew 6:24 ; Luke 16 :13), and not judging others ( Matthew 7:1 –2; Luke 6:37–38). These teachings are highlighted in the Sermon on the Mount and the Lord's Prayer . Jesus chose 12 Disciples who represented

8137-513: The leader of the Jerusalem church. Clement of Alexandria ( c.  150–215 AD ) called him Bishop of Jerusalem . Peter, John and James were collectively recognized as the three pillars of the church ( Galatians 2:9 ). At this early date, Christianity was still a Jewish sect. Christians in Jerusalem kept the Jewish Sabbath and continued to worship at the Temple. In commemoration of Jesus' resurrection, they gathered on Sunday for

8240-517: The light, to Damascus where his sight was restored by a disciple called Ananias (who is thought to have been the first bishop of Damascus) then he was baptized . Thessalonica , the major northern Greek city where it is believed Christianity was founded by Paul , thus an Apostolic See , and the surrounding regions of Macedonia , Thrace , and Epirus , which also extend into the neighboring Balkan states of Albania and Bulgaria , were early centers of Christianity. Of note are Paul's Epistles to

8343-462: The most famous early baptistery is Baptistère Saint-Jean at Poitiers . Other early examples exist at Riez , Fréjus and Aix-en-Provence . In England , a detached baptistery is known to have been associated with Canterbury Cathedral . In most of Europe the early Christian practice of having a distinct baptistery building, useful when large numbers of adult catechumens were being instructed and then baptised in groups by immersion, had lapsed by

8446-627: The most important cities in the empire. Early Christians referred to themselves as brethren, disciples or saints , but it was in Antioch, according to Acts 11 :26, that they were first called Christians (Greek: Christianoi ). According to the New Testament, Paul the apostle established Christian communities throughout the Mediterranean world. He is known to have also spent some time in Arabia. After preaching in Syria, he turned his attention to

8549-446: The poor, sick, and widows. Women actively contributed to the Christian faith as disciples, missionaries, and more due to the large acceptance early Christianity offered. Historian Keith Hopkins estimated that by AD 100 there were around 7,000 Christians (about 0.01 percent of the Roman Empire's population of 60 million). Separate Christian groups maintained contact with each other through letters, visits from itinerant preachers , and

8652-529: The principal authority of the early Christian church. Clement of Alexandria ( c.  150–215 AD ) called him Bishop of Jerusalem . A 2nd-century church historian, Hegesippus , wrote that the Sanhedrin martyred him in 62 AD. In 66 AD, the Jews revolted against Rome . After a brutal siege, Jerusalem fell in 70 AD . The city, including the Jewish Temple, was destroyed and the population

8755-563: The religion as members invited interested outsiders to secret Christian assemblies (Greek: ekklēsia ) that met in private homes (see house church ). Commerce and trade also played a role in Christianity's spread as Christian merchants traveled for business. Christianity appealed to marginalized groups (women, slaves) with its message that "in Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither male nor female, neither slave nor free" ( Galatians 3:28 ). Christians also provided social services to

8858-477: The right to declare a universal date for the observance of Easter (see also Easter controversy ). Some postulate, however, that Alexandria was not only a center of Christianity, but was also a center for Christian-based Gnostic sects. The tradition of John the Apostle was strong in Anatolia (the near-east , part of modern Turkey, the western part was called the Roman province of Asia ). The authorship of

8961-599: The role of Bishop of Antioch as first being held by Peter. The Gospel of Matthew and the Apostolic Constitutions may have been written there. The church father Ignatius of Antioch was its third bishop. The School of Antioch, founded in 270, was one of two major centers of early church learning. The Curetonian Gospels and the Syriac Sinaiticus are two early (pre- Peshitta ) New Testament text types associated with Syriac Christianity . It

9064-578: The sharing of common texts, some of which were later collected in the New Testament. Jerusalem was the first center of the Christian Church according to the Book of Acts . The apostles lived and taught there for some time after Pentecost. According to Acts, the early church was led by the Apostles, foremost among them Peter and John . When Peter left Jerusalem after Herod Agrippa I tried to kill him, James, brother of Jesus appears as

9167-502: The stories of Christ and John the Baptist, frescoed on the walls, appear finely calculated architectural representations into which the painter has inserted his solemn, static images. The figures represented in the surrounding scenes, however, appear freer, for example in the Wedding Feast at Cana, where a group of servants moves naturally about the room in contrast to the static diners. From the analysis of these stylistic choices it

9270-517: The surrounding area after the destruction of the city until its rebuilding as Aelia Capitolina in c.  130 AD , when all Jews were banished from Jerusalem. The first Gentiles to become Christians were God-fearers , people who believed in the truth of Judaism but had not become proselytes (see Cornelius the Centurion ). As Gentiles joined the young Christian movement, the question of whether they should convert to Judaism and observe

9373-594: The synagogue, as there was a local Jewish community . A Christian community was quickly established in Athens, although it may not have been large initially. A common tradition identifies the Areopagite as the first bishop of the Christian community in Athens, while another tradition mentions Hierotheos the Thesmothete . The succeeding bishops were not all of Athenian descent: Narkissos was believed to have come from Palestine, and Publius from Malta. Quadratus

9476-638: The three Pillars of the Church : James the Just, Peter, and John . Later called the Council of Jerusalem , according to Pauline Christians , this meeting (among other things) confirmed the legitimacy of the evangelizing mission of Barnabas and Paul to the Gentiles . It also confirmed that Gentile converts were not obligated to follow the Mosaic Law , especially the practice of male circumcision , which

9579-412: The water source for the numerous occupants of the domus. As the requirements for Christian baptisteries expanded, Christianization of sacred pagan springs presented natural opportunities. Cassiodorus , in a letter written in AD 527, described a fair held at a former pagan shrine of Leucothea , in the still culturally Greek region of southern Italy. This shrine had been Christianized by converting it to

9682-410: The words of historian Diarmaid MacCulloch : Whether through some mass delusion, some colossal act of wishful thinking, or through witness to a power or force beyond any definition known to Western historical analysis, those who had known Jesus in life and had felt the shattering disappointment of his death proclaimed that he lived still, that he loved them still, and that he was to return to earth from

9785-596: Was between those, such as the followers of the "Pillars of the Church", led by James , who believed, following his interpretation of the Great Commission , that the church must observe the Torah , i.e. the rules of traditional Judaism, and Paul the Apostle , who called himself "Apostle to the Gentiles", who believed there was no such necessity. The main concern for the Apostle Paul, which he subsequently expressed in greater detail with his letters directed to

9888-541: Was condemned as execrable and repulsive in the Greco-Roman world during the period of Hellenization of the Eastern Mediterranean , and was especially adversed in Classical civilization from ancient Greeks and Romans , who valued the foreskin positively. The resulting Apostolic Decree in Acts 15 is theorized to parallel the seven Noahide laws found in the Old Testament . However, modern scholars dispute

9991-482: Was defeated, Hadrian barred Jews from the city, except for the day of Tisha B'Av , thus the subsequent Jerusalem bishops were Gentiles ("uncircumcised") for the first time. The general significance of Jerusalem to Christians entered a period of decline during the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire . According to Eusebius , Jerusalem Christians escaped to Pella , in the Decapolis ( Transjordan ), at

10094-670: Was executed in the reign of Tiberius by the procurator Pontius Pilate" (see Tacitus on Jesus ) . The decades after the crucifixion of Jesus are known as the Apostolic Age because the Disciples (also known as Apostles ) were still alive. Important Christian sources for this period are the Pauline epistles and the Acts of the Apostles . After the death of Jesus, his followers established Christian groups in cities, such as Jerusalem. The movement quickly spread to Damascus and Antioch , capital of Roman Syria and one of

10197-438: Was later found outside the building). With the fall of the House of Da Carrara in 1405, Venetian soldiers demolished the grand burial monuments and covered the numerous emblems of Francesco il Vecchio with green paint. After various partial restorations in the 20th century, the work is currently awaiting an important full restoration. The fresco cycle decorating the walls, painted between 1375 and 1376 by Giusto de' Menabuoi ,

10300-479: Was mostly killed or removed. According to a tradition recorded by Eusebius and Epiphanius of Salamis , the Jerusalem church fled to Pella at the outbreak of the First Jewish Revolt . According to Epiphanius of Salamis, the Cenacle survived at least to Hadrian's visit in 130 AD . A scattered population survived. The Sanhedrin relocated to Jamnia . Prophecies of the Second Temple's destruction are found in

10403-529: Was one of the three whose bishops were recognized at the First Council of Nicaea (325) as exercising jurisdiction over the adjoining territories. Alexandria , in the Nile delta , was established by Alexander the Great . Its famous libraries were a center of Hellenistic learning. The Septuagint translation of the Old Testament began there and the Alexandrian text-type is recognized by scholars as one of

10506-533: Was there that Peter baptized the centurion Cornelius , considered the first gentile convert. Paul sought refuge there, once staying at the house of Philip the Evangelist , and later being imprisoned there for two years (estimated to be 57–59). The Apostolic Constitutions (7.46) state that the first Bishop of Caesarea was Zacchaeus the Publican . After Hadrian's siege of Jerusalem (c. 133), Caesarea became

10609-693: Was thus made capital of Roman Creta et Cyrenaica . St. Titus is believed to have been the first bishop. The city was sacked by the pirate Abu Hafs in 828. Paul the Apostle preached in Macedonia , and also in Philippi , located in Thrace on the Thracian Sea coast. According to Hippolytus of Rome , Andrew the Apostle preached in Thrace , on the Black Sea coast and along the lower course of

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