The Oldest Christian Church Still Standing

[Maximus]

It's in the old Roman garrison town of Dura-Europos in Syria, and dates from at least as early as A.D. 235.

You can see pictures of it and the nearby Jewish synagogue of the same period here (http://www.philthompson.net/pages/icons/duraeuropos.html).

Here (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://divinity.library.vanderbilt.edu/burns/3262/image6RP.JPG&imgrefurl=http://divinity.library.vanderbilt.edu/burns/3262/dura2.html&h=589&w=823&sz=301&tbnid=4n_J2tav2KAJ:&tbnh=102&tbnw=143&start=2&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddura-europos%2Bchurch%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG) is a larger image of the baptistry area (I thought you guys might be interested in that).

I have never posted here before, but I thought those of you interested in Church history might like to see these photos.

I just wanted to share these neat pics with you all.

I do not intend to start a debate or even to post in this thread again.

I'll let you all just enjoy the photos and discuss them as you wish.

You might want to notice that the baptistry is of the immersion type and has the architecture of a tomb.

[Iollain]

Thanks Maximus, there is nothing to debate over with those sites anyways, so don't worry about that :)

[Maximus]

Thanks Maximus, there is nothing to debate over with those sites anyways, so don't worry about that :)

Thanks.

Since we Orthodox also baptize by immersion (triple immersion), I thought of you all when I saw those photos again.

[SumTinWong]

pretty cool stuff