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

Temple of Edfu

The Temple of Edfu is one of the best preserved ancient shrines in Egypt. It was built in the Ptolemaic Kingdom between 237 and 57 BC.

Edfu was one of several temples built during the Ptolemaic Kingdom, including the Dendera Temple complex, Esna, the Temple of Kom Ombo, and Philae. Its size reflects the relative prosperity of the time. The present temple initially consisted of a pillared hall, two transverse halls, and a barque sanctuary surrounded by chapels. The building was started during the reign of Ptolemy III Euergetes and completed in 57 BC under Ptolemy XII Auletes. It was built on the site of an earlier, smaller temple also dedicated to Horus, although the previous structure was oriented east–west rather than north–south as in the present site.