Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Breaking 4th Century Art News

Archaeologists from the Vatican believe they have found the earliest-known portrait of St. Paul in the catacombs of St. Thecla, near St. Paul fuori-le-mura in Rome.

The portrait was discovered about two weeks ago, but has already been cleaned and restored (by lasers, no less) for its release to the public.

In related news, the Pope says that remains discovered in an eight-foot sarcophagus underneath St. Paul fuori-le-mura "seem to be" (or in Pope-speak, "definitely are") St. Paul's mortal relics., as popular Christian tradition holds. Carbon dating confirms that the bones date from the 2nd or 3rd century.

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