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Photo Gallery

Photo 4.1

Figure 4.1 in In Stone and Story needed to be printed rather small on the page. This jpg allows the same figure to be used beyond those constraints.

Photos 4.2 through 4.7

Three of Pompeii’s main temples are highlighted in these photos. Photo 4.2 depicts the temple of Jupiter (in the center of the photo, and at the head of the civic forum), with Mount Vesuvius looming in the background late in the afternoon. The next four photos showcase the temple of Apollo (also situated on the civic forum) — the statue of Apollo (photo 4.3 and photo 4.4), the temple’s sacrificial altar (photo 4.5) and the steps leading up to the main temple precinct (photo 4.6). The foundations of the temple of Venus are shown in photo 4.7, which demonstrates somewhat how that temple overlooked the sea (as mentioned on page 40 of In Stone and Story).

Photos 4.8 through 4.12

The “Sacred Area” on the shore of Herculaneum housed several temples, including a temple to “the Four Deities.” Reliefs hung from the podium of this temple, depicting the four deities (as shown in photo 4.8) — Vulcan (photo 4.9), Neptune (photo 4.10), Mercury (photo 4.11), and Minerva (photo 4.12). These were deities that were thought to enhance business and trade (among other things).

Photo 4.13 and 4.14

Figure 4.9 in In Stone and Story depicts a craftworker’s shop. These two photos give more context to that figure, showing more of the ground floor area (photo 4.13) and the stairs leading up to a small bedroom area (photo 4.14).

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Class Activities

Have the class, either individually or in groups, construct short descriptions of modern “temples” and “deities” that function in similar ways to those of the ancient world. Each description should answer questions like, “Who are the priests?”, “What do the temples look like?”, “What do said “deities” provide for their devotees?”, “What are their ‘gospels’?” Compare these descriptions with those of ancient religious belief systems.

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Discussion Questions

1. What was advantageous or disadvantageous about the early Jesus-movement being associated with the Judean religion? What effect did the gradual uncoupling of identities (especially Christianity losing its Judean roots and affiliations) have on the development of Jesus-devotion? How might Jesus-groups have dealt with the growing social chasm between them and both Judean groups and pagan groups?
2. How might former devotees of the Roman pantheon of deities have felt about turning to devotion to Jesus? Why might it have been difficult? What might have made it easy? Further, what is so inflammatory about being labeled “atheists?” Why might this have been significantly different than being labeled an “atheist” today?
3. What are the ramifications of the use of temple imagery for the early Jesus-movement? Why was it important to employ the image of the temple in their devotion to Jesus? How might a polytheistic observer have reacted to the various uses of temple imagery?
4. Jesus-devotees were “often seen to be holding back progress and running the risk of bringing the ire of the deities down on society at large” (In Stone and Story, p. 47). What are some Christian ideologies, identities, and/or practices that are seen to be “holding back progress” today (or bringing the “ire of the deities” onto society, so to speak)?

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