Christians practiced openly in 3rd century Dura-Europos

[guy]

Dura-Europos was established as a Roman garrison town in AD 164 and is situated in present-day Eastern Syria. In AD 194, Emperor Septimius Severus utilized it as a strategic base for his campaigns against the Parthians. The city eventually fell to the Sassanids, led by Shapur I, between AD 256 and 257, during which time its inhabitants were deported.

Dura-Europos was well-known for its religious tolerance. A synagogue, Christian house, and Mithraeum were discovered on the same street in the city.

This article challenges the belief that the Christian house, constructed in AD 232, also served as a domestic dwelling or "house church" (domus ecclesiae) to conceal its true nature amid Christian religious persecution.

Modern architectural research indicates that the Christian house functioned as an openly Christian church rather than a private residence. This raises questions about the degree of Christian persecution by Roman authorities during that specific period and region.

 

https://phys.org/news/2024-08-house-rethinks-early-christian-landmark.html

 

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-roman-archaeology/article/debating-the-domus-ecclesiae-at-duraeuropos-the-christian-building-in-context/E76ED3AD86D09A74893368840DEDFA6A

 

 

Edited December 3, 2024 by guy