Jewish Catacombs of Venosa

Venosa, Italy

The Jewish Catacombs of Venosa are a set of catacombs located near the Italian city of Venosa. The exact date of construction for the catacombs is unknown, but it seems likely that they were built and used between the 4th and 6th centuries AD. They were discovered in 1853 and were not systematically studied until 1974.

The structure of the catacombs is simple, with two parallel tunnels connected by passages. Most of the names listed in the catacombs reflect the tendency of Jewish diaspora to take Greek or Latin names as opposed to names in Hebrew, with only a small minority of the people buried there having names reflecting a Hebrew etymology. The earliest writing in the catacombs is usually in Koine Greek, with Latin existing in the newer and deeper sections of the catacombs. There is more Hebrew text in these catacombs than in the better known Jewish catacombs of Rome. Religious iconography, such as the menorah, can be seen in the catacombs.

References:

Comments

Your name



Address

Venosa, Italy
See all sites in Venosa

Details

Founded: 4th century AD
Category: Religious sites in Italy

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

User Reviews

Powered by Google

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Historic Site of the week

Château du Lude

The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.