Show earliest christian chapel moved from syria S to new haven fine arts gallery the earliest christian chapel ever discovered has been moved overseas from syria and reconstructed in the yale gallery of fine arts at now haven conn the chapel is of extraordinary historic interest since it dates from the early part of the third century when christians worshiped secretly in romes catacombs cata combs in such tiny concealed rooms as the syrian chapel on the walls are paintings indicating how early christians pictured such scenes as christ healing the lame man at capernaum peter attempting to walk on the water and the three marys at the tomb of christ A boxlike box like affair is identified as an early baptismal font it is rooted roofed by a barrel vault supported by pillars yale archaeologists archeologists who unearthed the chapel in ruins of dura on the euphrates says a writer in the kansas city star trace its history through several generations af pf p f use ilse ending with duras fall fail in the persian siege of A D the chapel they explain first was merely a secluded room in the home of wealthy christians who must have offered it as a safe place for worship in time of christian persecution A generation or two later when the christian sect had grown stronger and was more tolerated the family moved out leaving the large and elegant house to the christian community the T he archeologists archaeologists infer this from finding no trace of stove cistern or other household gear at this time the rooms were rearranged and walls of the tiny chapel were decorated with their many biblical paintings other rooms in the house were incongruously left adorned with pagan friezes this suggests to the archeologists archaeologists that taste had changed or else that final siege of the city in interrupted the renovation |