Early Christian art

largest Catholic Marian church in Rome

thumb|237px|Ichthys was adopted as a Christian symbolism|Christian symbol. The ichthys or ichthus (; from ancient Greek , "fish") is, in its modern rendition, a symbol consisting of two intersecting arcs, the right ends extending beyond the meeting point so as to resemble the profile of a fish. It has been speculated that the symbol was used by early Christians as a secret symbol: a shibboleth to determine if another was indeed Christian. It is now known colloquially as the "Jesus fish". This symbol is widely used by Christians as a sign of their faith, often being found on vehicles, necklaces

minor basilica in Ravenna, Italy

art produced by Christians before Byzantine times

type of ancient naturalistic portraits from Roman Egypt

mausoleum in Ravenna, Italy

thumb|The Labarum of Constantine I, reconstructed from the depiction on a follis minted . The three dots represent "medallions" which are said to have shown portraits of Constantine and his sons. The labarum ( or λάβουρον) was a vexillum (military standard) that displayed the "Chi-Rho" symbol ☧, a christogram formed from the first two Greek letters of the word "Christ" (, or Χριστός) – Chi (χ) and Rho (ρ). It was first used by the Roman emperor Constantine the Great.

epithet of Jesus, from Jn 10:11–12

church building in Ravenna, Italy

Byzantine-style minor basilica in Ravenna, Italy

use of symbols, such as the ichthys by Christianity

church in Rome

baptistery in Ravenna, Italy

church

Christian image of Christ seated on a throne as ruler of the world, often surrounded by other Christian figures

minor basilica

Christian icons or images depicting Jesus

early Christian Sarcophagus used by Junius Bassus

structure located in block M8 at Dura-Europos (Syria), converted from house to Christian worship space

Roman chronological and calendrical text

carved episcopal throne (6th cent.)

large ceremonial silver dish

Christian sarcophagus dating to 320–350, in the Vatican Museums; discovered in the 19th century during rebuilding of the Basilica di San Paolo fuori le Mura in Rome; makes clear references to the dogmas of the First Council of Nicaea (325)

illuminated 6th-century gospel book

bible fragment of 6th century

type of glass with gold leaf between layers of glass

4th-century ivory box

part of the Vatican Necropolis

Christian sarcophagus c. 340 AD

Qirqbize ((Arabic قرقبيزه) also Kirkbize or Kirkbizeh) was an early Byzantine settlement in northwest Syria. The ruins are important for the history of early Christianity, as the remains of the earliest preserved house church after Dura-Europos from the beginning of the 4th century are located here. The place was inhabited from the Roman period until at least the 7th century. Howard Crosby Butler investigated the site in 1899, George Tchalenko conducted excavations in 1939 and until 1971.

early Christian sarcophagus

church building in Albenga, Italy