Dura-Europos church
Oldest known Christian house church / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Dura-Europos church (or Dura-Europos house church) is the earliest identified Christian house church.[1] It was located in Dura-Europos, Syria, and one of the earliest known Christian churches.[2] It is believed to have been an ordinary house that was converted to a place of worship between 233 and 256, and appears to have been built following the Durene tradition, distinguished by the use of mud brick and a layout consisting of rooms encircling a courtyard, which was characteristic of most other homes built in the Dura-Europos region.[3] Prior to the town being abandoned in 256 during the Persian siege, the Romans built a ramp extending from the city wall which buried the church building in a way that allowed for the preservation of its walls, enabling its eventual excavation by archaeologists in 1933.[4][5][6] It was less famous, smaller, and more-modestly decorated than the nearby Dura-Europos synagogue, though there are many similarities between them.
Dura-Europos church | |
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34.745829°N 40.727958°E / 34.745829; 40.727958 | |
Location | Dura-Europos |
Country | Syria |
Denomination | Early Christianity |
History | |
Status | Inactive |
Founded | 233; 1791 years ago (233) |
Relics held | Mosaics |
Architecture | |
Functional status | Ruins (possibly destroyed) |
Style | House church |
Completed | 233 AD |
Demolished | 256 AD (abandoned) |
The church was uncovered by a French-American team of archaeologists during two excavation campaigns in the city from 1931-32. The frescos were removed after their discovery and are preserved at Yale University Art Gallery.[7]
The fate of the church after the occupation of Syrian territory by ISIS during the Syrian Civil War is unknown; it is assumed the building was destroyed.[8][9]