Show the catacombs Cata combs of rome from an illustrated article by professor philip D D in the january century we quote the follow aa t are long and narrow passages or cross galleries excavated in the bowels of the earth in the hills outside and around the city for the burial of tho dead they are dark and gloomy with only an occasional ray of light from above the galler ies have two or more stories au filled with tombs and form an intricate network net work or subterranean labyrinth small compartments coculi loculi lo culi for the reception of the dead were cut out like shelves in the perpendicular walls and rectangular chambers for families or distinguished martyrs they were closed with a slab of marble or tile the more wealthy were laid in sarcophagi the coiling is flat sometimes slightly arched space was economized so as to leave room usually only for a single person the average with of the passages being two and one half to tareo feet this economy may be traced to tho poverty of the early christians and also to their strong sense of community in life and in death the little with altars and episcopal choirs cut in the are probably of later construction and could accamo date only a few persons at a tune they were suited for funeral services and private devotions but net for public worship the furniture of the catacombs Cata combs is instructive and interesting but most of it has been removed to and museums and must be studied outside articles of rings seals bracelets necklaces mirrors toothpicks tooth picks car picks es rare coins innumerable of terra cotta or of bronze oven of silver and amber all sorts of tools and in the case of children a variety of playthings were with the dead many of these articles are carved with the monogram of christ or with other christian symbols the lamps in jewish cemeteries generally bear a picture of the golden candlestick A great OL basks ana cups with or without ornamentation are also found mostly outside of tho graves and fastened to the grave lids these were formerly supposed to leavo been receptacle for tears or from the red dried sediment in ahem for the martyrs auf later archaeologists consider them ing vessels used in alie agap and oblations A superstitious habit prevailed in the fourth century although condemned lay a council of carthage to give to the dead the deuchar aftic wine or to put a asp with the consecrated wine into the i grave the instruments of which tho fertile imagination of credulous people had discovered acl which wore made to prove that almost every chrishen Chr isHan bened in the Caia combs was a martyr are simply implements of handicraft the instinct of nature prompts tho bereaved to deposit in the graves of their landred and i friends those things which are constantly used by them the idea pro availed also to a large extent that the future life was a of tho occupations and amusements of abo present but free from sin and imperfection on orrt ning the graves the skeleton frequently now very well preserved sometimes in dazzling as covered with a glistening glory but falls into dusic at the touch f |