catacomb

1. An underground cemetery consisting of chambers or tunnels with recesses for graves. Often used in the plural.
2. An underground, often labyrinthine passageway.

[Probably French catacombe, from Old French, from Late Latin catacumba.]

(KAT-uh-kom)

noun
1. Often catacombs. An underground cemetery consisting of chambers or tunnels with recesses for graves.
2. An underground burial place.

Etymology
Probably French catacombe, from Old French, from Late Latin catacumba.

(click to enlarge)
Arched niche of a tomb with early Christian paintings of scenes from the Old and New Testaments, in … (credit: Pont. Comm. di Arch. Sacra/M. Grimoldi)

Subterranean cemetery of galleries with recesses for tombs. The term was probably first applied to the cemetery under St. Sebastian's Basilica that was a temporary resting place for the bodies of Sts. Peter and Paul in the late 3rd century AD, but it came to refer to all the subterranean cemeteries around Rome. In addition to serving as burial sites, catacombs in early Christian Rome were the sites of funeral feasts celebrated in family vaults on the day of burial and on anniversaries. They were used as hiding places during times of persecution; Pope Sixtus II was supposedly captured and killed (AD 258) while hiding in the St. Sebastian's catacomb during Valerian's persecution. Catacombs are also found in Sicily and other parts of Italy, in Egypt, and in Lebanon.

For more information on catacomb, visit Britannica.com.

noun

A burial place or receptacle for human remains: cinerarium, crypt, grave, mausoleum, ossuary, sepulcher, sepulture, tomb, vault. See keep/release, place.

The original catacombs in Rome date from between the first and fourth centuries CE. While the first ones found were Christian in origin, in later years six Jewish catacombs were also found there. In Israel, too, there are many examples of catacombs, the most famous no doubt being the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron, where according to the Torah, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah are interred. In Jerusalem, there are also the tombs of the Sanhedrin, which are similar in appearance to the catacombs in Rome. In general, the catacombs in Israel are not as accessible as those in Rome, possibly because the Romans planned their catacombs for frequent visits by the living. See also Holy Places.

There is very little difference between the Jewish and Christian catacombs in Rome, except for the fact that the Jewish ones were completely sealed, so as to conceal the fact that tombs were located behind the entrances. The decorations and colors used are similar, but the inscriptions are of course in keeping with the different religions. The language of the majority of inscriptions in Jewish tombs is Greek, with a few in Latin written in Greek characters, which would seem to suggest that the Jews of Rome mostly spoke Greek. There are also isolated Hebrew words, especially "shalom."

The inscriptions themselves are a valuable resource for the historian, shedding light on the names that were current at the time (including some that would have remained unknown without the evidence of the catacombs), the titles in use, and the status of individuals. The most common symbol in the Jewish catacombs is the Menorah (candelabrum), evidently related to the verse (Prov. 20:27), "The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord." Another common symbol is the Shofar(ram's horn), connected to the shofar that will be blown when the Messiah comes.

Underground passageways used as cemeteries, with niches for sarcophagi or smaller ones for cinerary urns.

For other uses, see Catacombs (disambiguation).

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008)

A procession in the San Callistus catacombs in Rome.

Catacombs are ancient, human-made underground passageways or subterranean cemeteries composed thereof.^[1] Many are under cities and have served during historic times as a refuge for safety during wars^{[citation needed]} or as a meeting place for cults.^[2][3] The first burial galleries to be referred to as catacombs lie beneath San Sebastiano fuori le mura, in Rome. The derivation of the word itself is disputed and it remains unclear if it ultimately derives from the cemetery itself or from the locality in which it is found. There is no doubt however that the San Sebastiano catacombs are the first to be referred to as such.^{[citation needed]}

The word now refers to any network of caves, grottos, or subterranean galleries that were used in medieval times as refuges during wars, as worship places, or for burial of the dead.

Contents 1 Catacombs around the world 1.1 Catacomb decorations 2 Inscriptions 3 Paintings 4 See also 5 References 6 External links

Catacombs around the world

Catacombs of Saint Sebastian - Rome

Rome Catacombs - entrance (detail).

Paris Catacombs.

Famous examples include:

• Austria – Catacombs of St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna
• Czech Republic – Catacombs of Znojmo
• Egypt – Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa (or Kom al Sukkfa, Shuqafa, etc.) in Alexandria
• England – Catacombs of London
• France – Catacombs of Paris
• Ireland – Catacombs of St. Mary's Knockbeg College in Carlow
• Italy – Catacombs of Rome
• Italy – Catacombs of Naples
• Italy – Capuchin catacombs of Palermo
• Malta – Maltese Catacomb Complexes, Rabat^[4]
• Peru – Catacombs of the Convento de San Francisco, Lima
• Scotland – Catacombs of Edinburgh
• Spain – Catacombs of Sacromonte in Granada

There are also catacomb-like burial chambers in Anatolia, Turkey; in Sousse, North Africa; in Naples, Italy; in Syracuse, Italy; Trier, Germany; Kiev. Capuchin catacombs of Palermo, Sicily were used as late as 1920s. Catacombs were popular in England in the 19th Century, and can be seen in many of the grand cemeteries of the time, such as Sheffield General Cemetery. There are catacombs in Bulgaria near Aladzha Monastery^{[citation needed]} and in Romania as medieval underground galleries in Bucharest.^[5]

In Ukraine and Russia, catacomb (used in the local languages' plural katakomby) also refers to the network of abandoned caves and tunnels earlier used to mine stone, especially limestone. Such catacombs are situated in Crimea and the Black Sea coast of these two countries. The most famous are Odessa Catacombs and Ajimushkay, Crimea, Ukraine. In the early days of Christianity, believers conducted secret worship services in these burial caves for safety and reverence for the dead. Later, they served as bases for Soviet World War II guerrillas (see also Great Patriotic War). Ajimushkay catacombs hosted about 10,000 fighters and refugees. Many of them died and were buried there, and memorials and museums were later established (it is now a territory of Kerch city).

Catacomb decorations

Catacombs although most notable for the underground passage ways and cemeteries are also the home of many decorations. There are thousands of decorations in the centuries old catacombs of Rome, catacombs of Paris, and other known and unknown catacombs, some of which include inscriptions, paintings and statues among other things such as ornaments which were placed in the graves over the years. Most of these decorations were used to identify, immortalize, and to show respect to the dead.

Inscriptions

Although thousands of inscriptions were lost as time past, they still serve as an indication of the social rank or the job title of its inhabitants; most of the inscriptions simply indicate how loving a couple was, or the love of parents and such.

Paintings

Paintings can also be seen throughout the burial chambers on the walls and ceilings. The paintings conveyed the same ideas as the inscriptions found throughout the catacombs.

See also

• Cemetery
• Crypt
• Necropolis
• Urban Exploration
• Cask of Amontillado

References

1. ^ Catacombs definition in Webster dictionary
2. ^ Éamonn Ó Carragáin, Carol L. Neuman de Vegvar Roma felix: formation and reflections of medieval Rome Ashgate (14 Mar 2008) ISBN: 978-0754660965 p.33[1]
3. ^ Nicholson, Paul Thomas (2005) "The sacred animal necropolis at North Saqqara: the cults and their catacombs" In Salima Ikram (ed) Divine creatures: animal mummies in Ancient Egypt. American University in Cairo Press, 2005 pp. 44-71. ISBN:978-9774248580
4. ^ "Maltese Catacomb Complexes". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1113/. Retrieved 2008-04-17. 
5. ^ "Romania Libera:Network of tunnels under the capital city". http://www.romanialibera.ro/a71250/retea-strategica-de-buncare-si-tuneluri-dedesubtul-capitalei.html. Retrieved 2008-10-23. 

External links

• The Catacombs of Naples
• The Catacombs of Paris
• The Catacombs of Saint Sebastian
• Catacombs
• The Catacombs of Saint Callist
• Subterranean Britannica

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - katakombe

Nederlands (Dutch)
catacombe

Français (French)
n. - catacombe

Deutsch (German)
n. - Katakombe

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - κατακόμβη

Italiano (Italian)
catacomba

Português (Portuguese)
n. - catacumba (f)

Русский (Russian)
катакомбы

Español (Spanish)
n. - catacumba

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - katakomb

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
地下墓穴, 茔窟

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 地下墓穴, 塋窟

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 지하묘지, 포도주 저장실, 지하 통로

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 地下墓地, カタコンベ

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) سرداب أو كهف للموتى‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮מערת-קברים, מרתף, כוך‬

If you are unable to view some languages clearly, click here.

To select your translation preferences click here.