Rare Jewish catacomb in Rome opens to public for first time

Ruth Gledhill

A rare Jewish catacomb in Rome is to open to the public for this summer.

In the past it has been possible to book private tours but public tours are now to be offered for the first time.

The catacomb at the Randanini vineyard is being opened up by Rome's culture ministry to coincide with the Pope's Jubilee Year of Mercy. 

The catacomb, in Rome's Via Appia, was created between the second and fourth centuries and contains some beautiful and ornately decorated family tombs or "cubicula". It was discovered in 1859 and covers about 18,000 square metres underground. The tours are being promoted by the Catacomb Society and others.

How to reserve a space on upcoming Vigna Randanini public tours on May 1 and June 5, 2016:

Posted by International Catacomb Society on Wednesday, 30 March 2016
" data-caption="null" data-credit="null">

The catacombs have until now been little known by any outside a specialist interest in the subject, because they are usually closed to the public. But within the Jewish archaeological community they are considered a great treasure. Many thousands of people were buried there. 

The first tours will take place from May to the first week in June, and then there are expected to be more in September and October.

An article on the Rome archaeology website explains that Rome's Jewish community dates from 161 BC when they fled there for safety. In Rome there are 60 known Christian catacombs and six Jewish catacombs.

Newsletter Stay up to date with Christian Today
related articles
Roman Catholic-Orthodox Joint Film Project Aims to Reconcile

An unprecedented ecumenical collaboration is being planned, as the Roman Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church look set to join hands to produce a film titled Pilgrimage to the Holy City in 2005...

Roman Christians were poorer than non-believers

Recent research conducted on the bones of early Christians in Rome has suggested they were generally poorer than non-Christian Romans.

Oldest-known paintings of Apostles Andrew and John uncovered

The oldest known images of the apostles Andrew and John have been found in a catacomb near St Paul’s Basilica in Rome, Vatican officials announced Tuesday.

Early images of Jesus Christ without beard discovered in Spain
Early images of Jesus Christ without beard discovered in Spain

The early image depiction of Jesus Christ without beard strikes resemblance to those found in the Roman catacombs.

News
‘Major achievement’ hailed as Israeli officials step in to stop anti-Christian harassment
‘Major achievement’ hailed as Israeli officials step in to stop anti-Christian harassment

Harassment against Christian is sometimes justified by appeals to the Jewish religion.

What do Christian young women and men need to know about the opposite sex and themselves?
What do Christian young women and men need to know about the opposite sex and themselves?

The first thing that Christian young women and men need to know is that the Bible is the operating manual for humans.

Saxon church saved from Historic England’s ‘at risk’ register after extensive repairs
Saxon church saved from Historic England’s ‘at risk’ register after extensive repairs

Historic England has added 197 sites to its Heritage at Risk Register. However it has also managed to save dozens of buildings, including a 1,000-year-old church.

Trump’s midterm defeat and its implications for Christians on both sides of the Atlantic
Trump’s midterm defeat and its implications for Christians on both sides of the Atlantic

America’s power and influence on the world stage, combined with Trump’s unpredictability and volatility, is a worrying mix.