Interesting discovery in Sicily

[Minimalist]

A sixth century AD tomb combining Christian and pagan elements. So much for the idea of rapid embrace of christianity throughout the Roman Empire in the 4th century!


http://www.publicaffairs.ubc.ca/ubcrepo ... stery.html

A hole in the stone slab covering the tomb allowed visitors to pour libations for the dead.

“This shows that the long-established, originally pagan, rite of offering libations to the dead clearly continued into early Byzantine times,” observes Wilson.

Yet, the presence of a Christian cross on a lamp found in the room and on the underside of a grave slab suggests that the deceased were Christian. As well, the skeletons were wrapped in plaster, a practice believed to be Christian for preserving the body for resurrection.

[Grumpage]

I know absolutely nothing about this subject (and many others) but it struck me that in the face of much evidence for a christian burial it seemed pretty weak that the presence of a hole in the coffin lid could be given so much significance. Is it so definitive?

[kbs2244]

I can take you to predominantly Polish cemeteries on the south side of Chicago where every Monday the caretakers collect shot glasses of vodka that were left on the tombstones over the weekend.

In my mind, not very “Christian.”
But very “prevalent.”

[Minimalist]

Many pagan rituals were incorporated into early christianity. It was part of the marketing.