Sacrifice of Isaac. Abraham (center) with Isaac (right) carrying the wood for the sacrifice, Catacomb of Priscilla, 3rd century, Rome.

Adam & Eve aware of their sin.

Parts of the Zerkindenhof date back to the 14th century.

The problems of iconographical perception and practice are obvious. John presumes a portrait is of an idol. Lycomedes is not apologetic but insists that what he has done is proper; he is but showing love and reverence for ...

However, it is necessary to make the distinction between the icon which represented idolatry and other forms of visual representation which were not seen to be in conflict with Christianity. An instance is illustrated by ...

Arcosolium damaged by grave robbers, Catacomb of Domatilla, Rome. Note the damages which mark the places both for inhumation and possibly for ashes.

Relatively undamaged arcosolium and sarcophagus with pagan themes, Via Latina Catacomb, Rome. The term arcosolium refers to the arched niche usually in the cubiculum (i.e. square room) in a catacomb.

But ark, or "tevah" in the Hebrew is a word of ambiguity, meaning an ark for the scrolls of the Torah or that of Noah.

Origen claimed the magi as descendants of Balaam, but Jerome captured the spirit of their role when he wrote: "To confound the Jews a star arose in the East, they [the Jews] were to learn of the birth of Christ from the ...

Two other important groups of symbols while without direct iconographic antecedents, emphasized the personalistic emphasis of Christian iconography in the 3rd century: Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Catacomb fresco of ...