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Some scholars have argued the inscription is actually a depiction of the jackal-headed
Egyptian god Anubis. For example, in his book on early Christian history published in 1876, Rev. John P. Lundy identifies the inscription as the "Gnostic Anubis." He writes that the inscription depicts the "head of
238:
derided
Christians for worshipping a man who had been crucified. The donkey's head and crucifixion would both have been considered insulting depictions by contemporary Roman society. Crucifixion continued to be used as an execution method for the worst criminals until its abolition by the emperor
340:
102:. To the left of the image is a young man – apparently intended to represent Alexamenos – as a Roman soldier or guard, raising one hand in a gesture possibly suggesting worship. The name Alexamenos (and its Latinate variant
356:
Anubis, or Thoth, the
Egyptian Mercury and custodian of the dead". 19th century scholar Charles William King says it is disputed whether it is a caricature of a Christian convert or an adoration of the jackal-headed god Anubis.
189:
No clear consensus has been reached on when the image was made. Dates ranging from the late 1st century AD to the late 3rd century AD have been suggested, with the beginning of the 3rd century AD thought to be the most likely.
55:. Often called the earliest depiction of Jesus, the graffito is difficult to date, but has been estimated to have been made around the year 200 AD. The image seems to show a young man worshipping a crucified,
164:, "Alexamenos worships God". Several other sources suggest "Alexamenos worshiping a god", or similar variants, as the intended translation. In the next chamber, another inscription in a different hand reads
134:, "strength, bravery, power, etc."). Alternatively, it may be derived from Greek ἀλεξάμενος (alexamenos), which is the participle of that same Greek verb. Beneath the cross is a caption written in crude
1263:
402:
or fear before God, especially when doing something disgraceful". It also carries a more general meaning of feeling shame or religious awe. Its descendant in
181:
for "Alexamenos is faithful" or "Alexamenos the faithful". This may be a retort by an unknown party to the mockery of
Alexamenos represented in the graffito.
1233:
222:. Later, the street on which the house sat was walled off to give support to extensions to the buildings above, and it thus remained sealed for centuries.
59:-headed figure. The Greek inscription approximately translates to "Alexamenos worships god," indicating that the graffito was apparently meant to mock a
1228:
296:, writing in the late 2nd or early 3rd century, reports that Christians, along with Jews, were accused of worshipping such a deity. He also mentions an
772:
1243:
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1208:
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438:
Archaic
England: An essay in deciphering prehistory from megalithic monuments, earthworks, customs, coins, place-names, and faerie superstitions
1283:
1253:
1106:
Monumental
Christianity; or, The art and symbolism of the primitive church as witnesses and teachers of the one Catholic faith and practice
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Monumental
Christianity; or, The art and symbolism of the primitive church as witnesses and teachers of the one Catholic faith and practice
1037:
726:
644:
1213:
981:
928:
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681:
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An introduction to Greek epigraphy of the
Hellenistic and Roman periods from Alexander the Great down to the reign of Constantine
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in the 4th century, and the impact of seeing a figure on a cross is comparable to the impact today of portraying a man with a
708:
1184:
816:
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260:(donkey-worship). That was based on the misconception that Jews worshipped a god in the form of a donkey, a claim made by
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343:"Anubis as Guardian of the Dead" from Lundy, John Patterson (1876). Monumental Christianity New York, J.W. Bouton. p. 60
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351:"The Gnostic Anubis" from Lundy, John Patterson (1876). Monumental Christianity New York, J.W. Bouton. p. 61
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336:. This practice, however, was not known to be a part of Christian worship until the 4th or 5th century.
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had acquired the house for the imperial palace, which, after
Caligula died, became used as a
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94:. In the top right of the image is what has been interpreted as either the Greek letter
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44:
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What Saint Paul Really Said: Was Paul of Tarsus the Real
Founder of Christianity?
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It seems to have been commonly believed at the time that Christians practiced
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114:(2nd century BC), possibly composed of the common Greek compound elements of
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36:
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95:
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158:, which means "worships". The full inscription would then be read as
87:
56:
19:
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believed to represent actual Christian practice, the veneration of
727:"The Ass (in Caricature of Christian Beliefs and Practices)"
673:
Early Christian Families in Context: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue
346:
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261:
178:
70:
18:
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The inscription is usually taken to be a mocking depiction of a
91:
48:
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Alexamenos: a Christian mocked for believing in a crucified God
838:
198:
The graffito was discovered in 1857 when a building called the
1157:
399:
382:
third-person present-tense singular indicative middle/passive
312:
159:
1153:
The Riddle of the Ass's Head, and the question of a trigram
1123:
The Gnostics and their remains : ancient and mediaeval
594:
A History of Caricature and Grotesque in Literature and Art
317:("The God of the Christians conceived of an ass.").
150:
can be understood as a variant spelling (possibly a
43:
scratched in plaster on the wall of a room near the
308:of a Christian with ass's ears and hooves, labeled
1016:"CHURCH FATHERS: Contra Celsum, Book VII (Origen)"
51:, Italy, which has now been removed and is in the
1172:The Alexamenos Graffito: page by Rodney J. Decker
956:. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
849:. Vol. 6. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
736:. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
290:made the same claim against Christians and Jews.
497:"Alexamenos and pagan perceptions of Christians"
581:Ancient Rome in the Light of Recent Discoveries
1177:Alexamenos and pagan perceptions of Christians
703:. University of Michigan Press. p. 208.
583:, 1898, chapter 5 'The Palace of the Caesars'
8:
748:"Home Page – Concordia Theological Seminary"
896:. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 207.
869:. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 244.
676:. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 103.
592:Thomas Wright, Frederick William Fairholt,
976:. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. p. 46.
615:. Adamant Media Corporation. p. 201.
858:
856:
665:
663:
661:
670:Balch, David L.; Osiek, Carolyn (2003).
470:
468:
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430:
428:
110:, student of Socrates, and the general,
1264:Early Christianity-related inscriptions
424:
365:
264:(30-20 BC – c. AD 45-48) and denied by
106:) is also attested in the instances of
320:In the image, Alexamenos is portrayed
82:The image depicts a human-like figure
923:. Kessinger Publishing. p. 200.
609:Hare, Augustus John Cuthbert (2005).
398:), which classically means, "to feel
7:
1109:. New York, J.W. Bouton. p. 59.
1092:. New York, J.W. Bouton. p. 61.
514:Squire, Michael (22 December 2015).
234:in the act of worship. At the time,
1234:Archaeological discoveries in Italy
775:A Sociological Analysis of Graffiti
1126:. London : Nutt. p. 433.
14:
1229:Anti-Christian sentiment in Italy
1244:Christianity in the Roman Empire
950:. In Herbermann, Charles (ed.).
843:. In Herbermann, Charles (ed.).
782:. Sustain.ubc.ca. Archived from
730:. In Herbermann, Charles (ed.).
247:around his neck or seated in an
1219:1857 archaeological discoveries
1209:3rd century in the Roman Empire
1040:from the original on 2018-09-12
819:from the original on 2012-11-04
647:from the original on 2019-05-23
449:from the original on 2015-02-01
154:misspelling) of Standard Greek
1120:King, Charles William (1887).
1103:Lundy, John Patterson (1876).
1086:Lundy, John Patterson (1876).
920:History of Early Christian Art
866:Evangelism in the Early Church
441:. Chapman & Hall. p.
1:
807:Charles William King (1887).
553:. Paulist Press. p. 46.
550:The Word in and Out of Season
86:and possessing the head of a
1284:Roman-era Greek inscriptions
998:"Josephus: Against Apion II"
837:Hassett, Maurice M. (1909).
724:Hassett, Maurice M. (1907).
517:Sight and the Ancient Senses
1254:Crucifixion of Jesus in art
750:. Ctsfw.edu. Archived from
697:MacLean, B. Hudson (2002).
596:, Chatto and Windus, 1875,
547:Viladesau, Richard (1992).
286:that the pagan philosopher
1300:
1034:"Tertulliani Apologeticum"
811:Gnostics and their Remains
412:, merely means, "respect".
385:
313:
160:
125:
115:
407:
165:
139:
1214:3rd-century inscriptions
917:Cutts, Edward L (2004).
280:reports in his treatise
144:ALE XAMENOS SEBETE THEON
124:, "I defend, help") and
39:graffito) is a piece of
947:"The Incarnation"
863:Green, Michael (2004).
612:Walks in Rome, Volume 1
477:The Alexamenos Graffito
435:Bayley, Harold (1920).
161:Ἀλεξάμενος σέβεται θεόν
140:ΑΛΕ ΞΑΜΕΝΟϹ ϹΕΒΕΤΕ ΘΕΟΝ
23:The Alexamenos graffito
1269:Graffiti (archaeology)
1140:Titus Flavius Josephus
890:Schwarz, Hans (1998).
352:
344:
194:Discovery and location
171:
79:
24:
1002:penelope.uchicago.edu
953:Catholic Encyclopedia
944:Drum, Walter (1910).
846:Catholic Encyclopedia
733:Catholic Encyclopedia
392:Ancient Greek grammar
350:
342:
202:was unearthed on the
112:Alexamenus of Aetolia
74:
22:
1249:Christianity in Rome
1224:Ancient city of Rome
78:trace of the drawing
637:"Behind the Name -
396:Koine Greek grammar
372:More specifically,
300:who carried around
31:(also known as the
29:Alexamenos graffito
1204:3rd century in art
1187:2007-01-21 at the
1161:9 (1963), 219–231.
1073:2017-01-05 at the
815:. p. 433 note 12.
579:Rodolfo Lanciani,
483:2015-01-02 at the
474:Rodney J. Decker,
353:
345:
310:Deus Christianorum
166:ΑΛΕξΑΜΕΝΟϹ FIDELIS
108:Alexamenus of Teos
84:affixed to a cross
80:
63:named Alexamenos.
25:
1020:www.newadvent.org
33:graffito blasfemo
1291:
1279:Roman Empire art
1147:, II (VII), 2.80
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218:) for imperial
216:boarding school
200:domus Gelotiana
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53:Palatine Museum
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283:Contra Celsum
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271:Against Apion
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784:the original
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752:the original
742:
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649:. Retrieved
638:
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549:
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516:
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437:
404:Modern Greek
381:
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298:apostate Jew
292:
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268:in his work
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893:Christology
458:alexamenos.
330:Peter Maser
241:Constantine
212:Paedagogium
170:Alexamenos
37:blasphemous
1198:Categories
1058:Tertullian
1044:2018-08-31
823:2012-10-17
793:2012-10-17
758:2012-10-17
710:0472112384
651:2019-05-23
639:Alexamenos
566:2016-07-19
533:2018-08-31
453:2020-02-28
420:References
322:venerating
306:caricature
294:Tertullian
104:Alexamenus
314:ὀνοκοίτης
232:Christian
220:page boys
100:tau cross
61:Christian
1185:Archived
1071:Archived
1038:Archived
970:(1997).
817:Archived
645:Archived
481:Archived
447:Archived
326:crucifix
302:Carthage
266:Josephus
257:onolatry
208:Caligula
152:phonetic
409:σέβομαι
387:σέβομαι
380:is the
378:σέβεται
374:ϹΕΒΕΤΑΙ
173:fidelis
156:ϹΕΒΕΤΑΙ
96:upsilon
67:Content
980:
927:
900:
873:
707:
680:
619:
557:
524:
288:Celsus
278:Origen
236:pagans
148:ϹΕΒΕΤΕ
88:donkey
57:donkey
787:(PDF)
780:(PDF)
598:p. 39
390:(see
360:Notes
334:icons
262:Apion
179:Latin
136:Greek
132:menos
127:μένος
122:alexo
117:ἀλέξω
98:or a
35:, or
978:ISBN
925:ISBN
898:ISBN
871:ISBN
705:ISBN
678:ISBN
617:ISBN
555:ISBN
522:ISBN
394:and
185:Date
92:mule
49:Rome
27:The
1158:ZAW
443:393
400:awe
177:),
90:or
47:in
1200::
1155:,
1142:,
1066:,
1060:,
1036:.
1018:.
1000:.
855:^
660:^
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