"My heart burns with anger at this injustice, for the family of this young officer and the Euclid Police Department."

"There was nothing to do." The post Songs from St Lucia: how a boring holiday led to one of Pet Shop Boys’ biggest hits first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

  When people think of the Roman Empire, they typically think of conquests, great emperors, monumental architecture, and richly adorned tombs. It may be surprising to learn that just outside Rome’s city walls, there is an extensive system of underground tombs that stretch for an estimated one thousand kilometers. These catacombs mark a definitive period in ancient Roman history: the gradual takeover of the Roman Empire by Christianity.   Where and How Were the Catacombs of Rome Built? The Catacomb of Via Latina (ca. 300-360 CE), by Scala Archives, 2006. Source: JSTOR   Adhering to Roman law, the catacombs are located just outside of the city walls. Table X of The Twelve Tables (c. 450 BCE) states that ‘A dead person shall not be buried or burned in the city’. This meant that the roads leading to and from Rome became popular burial sites as they ensured accessibility. Of particular importance was the Via Appia Antica, which was constructed in 312 BCE. It was the first of the great Roman roads and housed several of the largest and oldest catacombs.   The Catacombs of Saint Callixtus, the largest of the underground networks, was the official cemetery of the Church of Rome in the 3rd century CE and contained over half a million Christian burials. The sheer size and complexity of these landscapes are astounding.   Map of Catacombs around Rome, by the University of California. Source JSTOR.   Built in pre-existing quarries, burial spaces were dug out to accommodate privately owned family hypogea. The Catacombs of Rome were in use from the 1st to the 5th centuries CE. The earliest of the burials were generally cremations, but by the start of the 2nd century, the practice had changed to inhumation. This gave rise to a more lavish-style tomb, the acrosolium, which typically contained a decorated archway and differed from the common loculi style tombs. These archways contain some of the earliest and best-preserved Christian artworks from the Roman Empire.   Loculi and Arcosolia, Catacombs of Priscilla, by Scala Archives, 2006. Source: JSTOR.   As the catacombs turned into places of devotion, large basilicas were built above the catacombs from the 4th to the 7th centuries to accommodate the increase of pilgrims and travelers. By the 8th century, important relics were moved to churches for safekeeping and the catacombs lost their significance. They eventually fell into disuse and were completely forgotten by the 12th century.   Who Was Buried in the Catacombs?  Procession in Catacomb of Callixtus, Alberto Pisa, c. 1903-1959. Source: Internet Archive.   The Catacombs of Rome are largely labeled as ‘Christian’. However, it wasn’t until the late 3rd century CE that the Christian population began to dominate the underground network. The custom of burying the deceased in underground hypogea was also practiced by Jewish and pagan communities. It was not until the 4th century CE that the catacombs became almost exclusively Christian as the Roman Empire officially turned to Christianity.   Catacomb of St. Sebastian, three pagan mausolea, by Scala Archives, 2006. Source JSTOR.   The catacombs contain a significant number of pagan burials, commonly placed side by side with Christian ones. This indicates that the separation of pagans and Christians in both life and death is in fact a modern myth. It is from the 4th century onwards that the narrative of these underground funerary complexes as ‘Christian’ constructs appears. There are over sixty surviving catacombs in Rome, six of which are exclusively Jewish. These catacombs are significant in their own right as they are the largest Jewish archaeological sites outside of Israel from ancient times.   The Christianization of the Roman Empire  Painting from Jewish Catacomb Villa Torlonia (3rd – 4th C.), by the University of California. Source: JSTOR.   The images found in the depths of the catacombs illustrate the rise of Christianity. Prior to the 3rd century CE, Christians formed a small portion of the Roman population and were often treated with hostility. As a result, the Christian funerary art in the catacombs was similar to traditional Greco-Roman art. During the Great Persecutions, religiously ‘neutral’ images were used by Christians. This makes Christianity both art-historically and archaeologically invisible during the first two centuries of its existence. Christian philosopher Clement of Alexandria, writing in around 150-215 CE, advocated for the wearing of rings that bear unassuming symbols:   And let our seals be either a dove, or a fish, or a ship running with a fair wind, or a musical lyre, which Polycrates used, or a ship’s anchor, which Seleucus had engraved; and if the seal is a fisherman, it will recall the apostle, and the children drawn out of the water. For we are not to depict the faces of idols, we who are prohibited from attaching ourselves to them, nor a sword, nor a bow, since we follow peace, nor drinking cups since we are temperate. Paedagogus 3.59-60.1   Fresco of fish in Catacomb of Callixtus, by the Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism (ARAS). Source: JSTOR.   It was not until after Constantine’s new laws that Christianity became not only legal but prestigious. This religious shift caused huge changes in the catacombs and the production of Christian funerary art. It was within the 4th century CE that a clear Christian art form was established, and, for the first time, images of Christ became prevalent. New Christian themes flourished across the late Tetrarchic and early Constantinian periods. Biblical images became vibrant and abundant, losing their previously ambiguous nature.   The Origins of Christian Art  Christians in a catacomb celebrating communion, threatened by invading Roman soldiers, by Wellcome Collection. Source: JSTOR.   Another thing that makes the catacombs significant is that they document the development of the early Christian art. Prior to the 4th century, popular Greco-Roman images such as the shepherd, phoenix, anchor, dove, fish, and orant were used as decorative motifs in the burials of Christian Romans. These images were adapted to contain Christian teachings while maintaining a moderate degree of anonymity. This made it difficult to differentiate between early Christian and non-Christian burials.   Limestone Ram-Bearer (kriophoros), ca. 6th century BCE. Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.   The Good Shepherd motif is one of the most popular images and appears over a hundred times in the catacombs. The Shepherd is believed to be an early representation of Christ but shares strong artistic parallels with the ancient Greek kriophoros (ram bearer). Two of the oldest known depictions of the Good Shepherd are found in the Catacombs of Domitilla.   Good Shepherd in the Catacomb of Domitilla, by Scala Archives, 2006. Source: JSTOR.   The Christian use of symbols from Greco-Roman tradition is reflective of the turbulent religious climate during the late imperial period. Catacomb art is generally separated into two broad categories: pre-Constantinian (1st century to 325 CE) and post-Constantinian (325-525 CE).   Constantine’s Edict of Milan in 313 CE and Theodosius’s declaration of Christianity as the official religion of the Empire in 381 CE granted new freedoms to Roman Christians. As a result, the art within the catacombs began to depict scenes from the Old and New Testaments. Important chambers, such as the Capella Greca in the Catacombs of Priscilla and the Cubicula of Sacraments in the Callixtus Catacomb, are evidence of this iconographic shift. Several subjects from the Testament frequent these chambers. These include the stories of Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jonah, Daniel, Susanna, and the Three Youths.   How Were the Catacombs Rediscovered in the 16th Century? Three Youths fresco painting in the Catacomb of Priscilla, by the Parker Collection, c. 1868-1869. Source: JSTOR.   The catacombs lay untouched under the streets of suburban Rome until 1578, when workers at the Vigna Del Sanchez accidentally came across an underground cavity along the Via Salaria Nuova. This turned out to be one of the forgotten catacombs.   What is intriguing about the rediscovery of the catacombs during the 16th century, is that they were unearthed during the early years of the Counter-Reformation and immediately became the subject of immense religious and ideological debate between Catholic and Protestant scholars.   Basilica of St. Sebastian, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, ca. 1750. Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.   Catholic scholars attempted to weaponize the catacombs to further their cause against the Protestants. Catholic priest Richard Lassels published The Voyage of Italy in 1670, reinforcing Catholic perceptions:   “… no man enters into the catacombes but he comes better out, than he went in. Catholicks come out far more willing to dye for that faith, for which so many of their ancestors have dyed before them. The Adversaries of the Roman Church come out more staggered in their faith, and more milde towards the Catholick religion, to see what piety there is even in the bowels of Rome; Atheists come out with that belief that surely there is a God, seeing so many thousands of Martyrs have testifyed it with their blood.”   Catacomb of Domitilla, 3rd- 4th century CE, by Scala Archives, 2006. Source: JSTOR.   Sixteenth-century archaeologist Antonio Bosio, a Catholic in the wake of the Protestant Reformation, had an immense impact on the literature surrounding the Roman burials. His famous book Roma Sotterranea (1632) is evidence of a deep-rooted Catholic tradition in catacomb scholarship, a tradition that aimed at affirming the ancient roots of the Roman Church.   Do The Catacombs of Rome Still Exist Today?  Antonio Bosio’s Roma Sotterranea engraved titlepage, via Arachne, 2021.   Many catacombs still exist today, but only a select few remain accessible to the public. The largest of the underground networks, the Catacombs of Saint Callixtus, are located on the Via Appia Antica and the Catacombs of Saint Sebastian. Situated nearby are the Catacombs of Domitilla, the oldest of the sites. Also accessible via the Appian Way is the Jewish catacomb, Vigna Randanini. On the other side of the city, two more catacombs are open to visitors. These include the Catacombs of Priscilla along the Via Salaria and the Catacombs of St. Agnes located in Via Nomentana.   The Via Appia Antica, photograph taken by author, 2019.   The catacombs are generally separated into two categories: Christian and Jewish. The majority of the Christian catacombs are now owned and managed by the Roman Catholic Church through the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology. These catacombs are significant for several reasons. They reveal the origins of early Christian art and document the Christianization of the Roman Empire, a process that ultimately shaped Christianity as we know it today. Next time you visit Rome, think about venturing into the depths of the catacombs and see why it is forever known as the ‘eternal city’.

  Although the ancient Romans were broadly aware of the importance of cleanliness, in instances where being clean was just not enough to fight through diseases and fractures, they also relied on doctors. Their doctors were self-taught, mainly Greek, and often charlatans. They did what they could with the knowledge they had, a lot of which remained customary practice for centuries. Despite the drawbacks of their time, Roman medicine laid a solid foundation for successors to build upon, and many Roman medical practices are still used today albeit they have been upgraded in various ways.   1. Dental Bridges and Implants Copy of a Roman dental bridge excavated at Teano, 1901-1930, Source: The Science Museum Group   When trying to envision an ancient Roman, one would probably add a few blackened teeth or a hole in the smile. Although this image might be pertinent to some, there were in fact many Romans who had beautiful pearly whites. On the one hand, their diet was mostly void of sugars so their teeth did not rot as much as one would expect (or as ours do today). On the other hand, when dental hygiene failed, the Romans had a solution that they seem to have borrowed from the Etruscans — dental bridges, many of which have been found on Roman skeletons.   Although tooth extraction was the most common “therapy” for rotten teeth, some Romans who could afford it, were able to buy new ones. To show how common these interventions were, it is worth mentioning that the Law of the Twelve Tables (a list of laws created in the 5th century BCE), forbids the extraction of gold used to fasten teeth, from the mouth of the deceased! The teeth that filled the metal frames were either from animals or were recycled human teeth. There has also been talk of dental implants among the Romans, but the only supposed piece of evidence for this is disputed. A cast iron tooth was found in a soldier in a Gallo-Roman necropolis dating from the 2nd century CE, but even if it does serve as an example of a successful dental implant, it is an exception rather than the rule.   2. Plastic Surgery Marble head portrait of a woman, Rome, 3rd century BCE, Source: The MET Museum   Even though wound suturing belongs to the realm of plastic surgery, Roman surgeons did carry it out extensively. There are also many other interesting interventions they performed in order to preserve (and sometimes improve) the original shape of their patients’ faces. Rhinoplasties, i.e., nasal reconstructions were among the most common.   The Edwin Smith Papyrus from 2nd millennium BCE Egypt gives detailed explanations on how to approach mending a broken nose, as does the Greek doctor Hippocrates. Among the Romans, Galen and Celsus offer some instructions on repairing the nose, mouth, and ears. Celsus, for example, encourages tempering for nostrils, ears, and lips when damaged by mutilation, but only to a certain extent, as larger changes might result in an even uglier appearance. The objects of such operations were mostly gladiators and soldiers. Celsus warns surgeons not to deal with the old and sickly for these interventions, as their wounds will not heal quickly or properly.   The first images that usually come to mind concerning plastic surgery are corrective surgeries carried out for beautification — and these were also present in ancient Rome! Celsus commented on ear-jobs for those whose ears had stretched from wearing heavy earrings, and skin grafts existed in ancient Rome, although they were later forgotten up until the 19th century. One purpose of skin grafting, described by Galen, was foreskin reconstruction, in order to help Jewish men resemble Romans.   3. Amber for Babies Ram’s head pendant, Italic, 5th century BCE, Source: J Paul Getty Museum   Modern-day babies are often adorned with amber necklaces in hopes of helping them with their teething, and the Romans, as Pliny testifies in his Natural History, used the same material to benefit their newborns in general — although not for teething specifically. Rather, they used different sorts of amber talismans and recommended them for uses other than baby protection.   Pliny quotes Callistratus as an authority on amber and says that he recommended the use of amber as an amulet on a necklace, or as a powder for various diseases, including ear, stomach, eye problems, and fever. Galen gives recipes for lozenges containing amber, to be used for cough, dysentery, flatulency, bowel problems, etc. Among the other benefits of amber, Galen discusses diseases of the mouth. Other medical text authors, like Celsus for example, completely omit amber when speaking of drugs.   There are several terms denoting amber which some ancient authors use interchangeably. The logical explanation for this is that amber-containing drugs were introduced into medical textbooks from folk remedies, and different terms were used in different areas of the Empire, hence the array of synonyms. Although no lozenges survive today, there are several amber talismans from the Roman period, demonstrating the use of this material. The use of amber for medical or medical-like purposes in modern times, also comes from folklore.   4. Caesarian Section  Fetal positions in womb, from Soranus Gynaecia, MS 3701-15, fol. 28r, Source: Brussels, Bibliothèque Royale   In use everywhere in modern times, the Caesarian section was not a Roman invention or a popular childbearing method in ancient Rome, nor does it have anything to do with Julius Caesar, besides being eternally bonded with his name. Pliny notes that children born “caesi a matris utero” are called caesones, and he connects this way of being born with the word Caesar but his etymology, in this case, does not seem plausible.   The Lex Regia, later to become the Lex Caesaris (which some say influenced the term for this procedure) explicitly states that a deceased pregnant woman should never be buried with the child inside:   “Negat lex regia mulierem quae praegnans mortua sit, humari, antequam partus ei exciditur: qui contra fecerit spem animantis cum gravida peremisse videtur.”   “The Lex Regia forbids burying a woman having died pregnant, before the offspring is cut out of her; whosoever does otherwise is considered to cause the hope of life to perish with the mother.”   Ancient medical texts make no mention of this birthing method. Known cases of Caesarian sections are all postmortem, and all originate from mythology. Namely, the gods Dionysus and Asclepius were born postmortem, i. e. extracted from the bodies of their dead mothers, and the god Adonis came out of a tree ten months after his mother Myrrha, who had been transformed into a tree by the gods trying to save her from her jealous husband/father. Carrying out this procedure on living mothers does not seem to have been popular, although some modern researchers claim it was done in Jewish communities.   Statue of Asclepius, Roman, Source: The British Museum   Soranus (1-2nd century CE), describes in his book on gynecology the causes of a difficult labor and he explains the possible positions of the fetus, e.g. feet down, breached baby, etc. — all reasons for a C-section today. Yet he only suggests various positions for the parturient depending on the reason for the difficult labor. He mentions lubrication and oily sitz-baths, and he describes maneuvers for turning the fetus around. Never does he take into consideration the option of cutting open the mother. On the contrary: If the fetus is not responding to manual traction, extraction by hooks or embryotomy is advised only in order to save the mother.   5. Urine Analysis A physician assessing a woman’s urine with the help of Galen’s book (The title on the page reads: Liber quartus Galeni), possibly by Jacob Toorenvliet, c.1635–1719, Source: Artuk.org   Uroscopy, or rather uroscopia, as it was known until the 17th century, was a diagnostic tool already in use in ancient Babylon and ancient Egypt. In Greece, the doctor Hippocrates had some fairly correct observations concerning urine sample/disease relations: kidney disease was diagnosed on the basis of bubbles forming on the surface of a urine sample, blood in urine is suggestive of bladder ulceration, sedimentation increases with fever, and a sweet taste to the urine is indicative of diabetes. It was Galen who upgraded Hippocrates’ theories, beginning with a more accurate description of the origins of urine, and even more specific diagnoses based on urine samples.   Some of the medical practices mentioned above were at their peak in ancient times and then neglected in the Middle Ages, but when it comes to uroscopy, the practice overdeveloped leading to almost every disease being diagnosed on the basis of urine samples. The word –scopia in uroscopia suggests looking (from the Greek σκοπέω “to look at”), but doctors actually also assessed samples by smelling and even tasting the urine.   Needless to say, urine analysis today is a valuable aid to diagnosticians, albeit it is not the only tool for the assessment of a patient’s condition. As for tasting urine, this is also not unheard of in modern times, be it for the purpose of rehydration in difficult circumstances, or among believers that urine can be used as a cure for various diseases (a point also made by some in ancient times). The ancient Romans were also famous for their urine tax, and aside from using it to wash clothes, urine seems to have been used as toothpaste.   Bust of Hippocrates, Source: The Wellcome Collection   Ancient Roman medicine was a combination of folk medicine and inherited knowledge from their neighbors. Built upon by Roman physicians, it also had many spiritual features. The prohibition against cadaver examinations slowed down its development but nevertheless, Roman doctors, even without academic medical training, had many means of helping their patients. They had developed surgical instruments, drug recipes, and various procedures for assisting the ill. Many of the procedures they used were studied in further depth over time, and they have advanced thanks to new resources and the development of science. However, the ideas were already there more than 2,000 years ago.

The danger of misplacing your priorities "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." – Matthew 6:33 Dr. George Sweeting recounted a time when he and his family took a trip to Niagara Falls. It was spring, and huge blocks of ice were rushing down the river, making their way to the falls. Frozen inside the blocks were carcasses of dead fish. Swarms of gulls were riding down the river on the blocks feeding on the dead fish. As they came to the brink of the falls, their wings would go out and they would fly away, narrowly escaping an imminent death. Dr. Sweeting then observed, "I watched one gull which seemed to delay and wondered when it would leave. It was engrossed in the carcass of a fish, and when it finally came to the brink of the falls, out went its powerful wings. The bird flapped and flapped and even lifted the ice out of the water, and I thought it would escape. But it had delayed too long so that its claws had frozen into the ice. The weight of the ice was too great, and the gull plunged into the abyss." The most appealing things in the world turn deadly when we become too attached to them. That's because when we hold onto something so tightly that we refuse to let it go, that thing becomes our idol and surpasses God in our hearts. Don't let the things you love destroy you. Release what needs to be released for the sake of your relationship with God. Enjoy the good things in life, but always remember to keep your priorities in line! Prayer Challenge Ask God to show you where you've compromised your priorities and pray He'd help you keep them in line. Questions for Thought Why do you think the things of the world often seem more appealing than the things of God? What are some things in your life today that perhaps you need to let go of? Visit the Senior Living Ministries website Visit the Senior Living Ministries website The post The Danger of Misplacing Your Priorities –  Senior Living – May 14 appeared first on GodUpdates.

A Morning Prayer for God to Be NearBy Lynette Kittle "But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all Your deeds" – Psalm 73:28 Does it ever feel like God is far away? Especially when going through difficult times, where it may seem like God is looking the other way. Still, God says in His Word that He draws near to us, but what does it mean for God to be near? We hear it referred to in songs, read it in the Bible, and hear Christians discuss it, but do we experience it in a practical, everyday living sort of way? If not, how do we begin? And how do we know when and if God is near?  Asking God to Draw NearMy husband's favorite hymn is "Nearer, Still Nearer." Its words are like a prayer, asking God to draw us closer to Him. So is it as easy as singing a song, asking God to draw near, and then waiting for Him to show up? Or, are there ways we can prepare our hearts in advance for His nearness? James 4:8 describes the steps God gives us to draw near to Him, and it begins with us making the effort to draw near first. "Come near to God and He will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." This first step in our drawing near to God also requires preparing ourselves beforehand for His nearness. The following are three ways to prepare. 1. Wash our hands. To prepare to draw near to God, we are told to stop sinning. This means that if we are actively choosing sin in our lives, we need to consciously stop sinning. 2. Purify our hearts. Preparation also involves the cleansing of our hearts by repenting of sin and asking God to cleanse us and purify our hearts. 3. Correct our mindset. Preparing includes correcting our mindset, where we choose to believe God's truth over the world's truth. Psalm 145:18 assures us that "The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth." Believing God Comes NearExperiencing God's nearness comes from believing His Word and that He wants to draw close to us. During some of life's hardest experiences, Psalm 34:18 tells us He is near. "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." It also comes with practice, by preparing ourselves to draw near to Him, so that He will draw near to us. When we do, we gain the experience of His presence and nearness in our lives. In experiencing His nearness, we gain an understanding of how to offer His nearness to others, like He does to us. During times of suffering and grief, we may not know what to say or how to act with others who are going through it, but God trains us through His nearness and how being near someone in their distress brings them comfort. As 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 reminds us, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." Why God's Nearness Is Good for UsGod's Word tells us that His nearness is good for us (Psalm 73:28) because with His nearness, which is wonderful in itself, we also receive His goodness. Psalm 65:4 describes how, "Blessed are those You choose and bring near to live in Your courts! We are filled with the good things of Your house, of Your holy temple." Let's pray:  Dear Father,Thank you that you called us to draw near to You. Help us take the steps to prepare ourselves to experience Your nearness. Lead us in washing our hands of sin, purifying our hearts, and correcting our mindsets to align and agree with Your truth. Help us, O Lord, in pursuing Your nearness so that we may receive your goodness. Embolden us to extend Your nearness to those around us.In Jesus' name, amen. Image credit: Image generated using AI technology via DALL.E 2024 Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today's Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV. Teach Us to Pray is a FREE prayer podcast hosted by iBelieve writer Christina Patterson. Each week, she gives you practical, real-life tips on how to grow your faith and relationship with God through the power of prayer. To listen to her episode on What to Pray in the Morning for a Worry-Free Day, click below! Now that you’ve prayed, are you in need of someone to pray for YOU? Click the button below! Visit iBelieve.com for more inspiring prayer content. The post A Morning Prayer for God to Be Near – Your Daily Prayer – May 14 appeared first on GodUpdates.