Herculaneum

ERCOLANO. – A town in Campania buried, POMPEIA (v.), by the eruption of Vesuvius in A.D. 79, and only beginning to be uncovered in the eighteenth century. It is probable that Christians were already present there at that time, since s. Paolo had found them in nearby Pozzuoli when he landed there as a prisoner on his way to Rome (Act. 28:14). Moreover, the existence of a Jewish community in nearby Pompei also seems to be established. Recently, however, the question has been much debated whether there is monumental evidence of that ancient Christian community. In E., in 1937, a wooden cross of Latin form was discovered in the House of the Bicentenary, affixed to a wall within a stucco panel; its discoverer, A. Maiuri, after prolonged study, decided to argue for its Christian character. A curious piece of furniture found in front of it may perhaps have served as a sort of little altar. Naturally, many subsequently raised objections and reservations, but in fact nothing serious or positive has been found that explains the curious monument apart from its Christian character. – Vedi tav. XXXVII.