The Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, commonly known as Saint Paul's Outside the Walls, is one of Rome's four ancient, papal, major basilicas, along with the basilicas of Saint John in the Lateran, Saint Peter's, and Saint Mary Major.
The basilica was founded by the Roman Emperor Constantine I over the burial place of Saint Paul, where it was said that, after the Apostle's execution, his followers erected a memorial, called a cella memoriae. This first basilica was consecrated by Pope Sylvester in 324.
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According to tradition, Saint Paul's body was buried two miles away from the location of his martyrdom, in the sepulchral area along the Ostiense Way, which was owned by a Christian woman named Lucina. A tropaeum was erected on it and quickly became a place of veneration.
Constantine I erected a basilica on the tropaeum's site, and the basilica was significantly extended by Theodosius I from 386, into what is now known as Saint Paul Outside the Walls. During the 4th century, Paul's remains, excluding the head, were moved into a sarcophagus. (According to church tradition the head rests at the Lateran.) Paul's tomb is below a marble tombstone in the basilica's crypt, at 1.37 metres (4.5 ft) below the altar. The tombstone bears the Latin inscription PAULO APOSTOLO MART ("to Paul the apostle and martyr"). The inscribed portion of the tombstone has three holes, two square and one circular. The circular hole is connected to the tomb by a pipeline, reflecting the Roman custom of pouring perfumes inside the sarcophagus, or to the practice of providing the bones of the dead with libations. The sarcophagus below the tombstone measures 2.55 metres (8.4 ft) long, 1.25 metres (4.1 ft) wide and 0.97 metres (3.2 ft) high.
The discovery of the sarcophagus is mentioned in the chronicle of the Benedictine monastery attached to the basilica, in regard to the 19th century rebuilding. Unlike other sarcophagi found at that time, this was not mentioned in the excavation papers.
On 6 December 2006, it was announced that Vatican archaeologists had confirmed the presence of a white marble sarcophagus beneath the altar, perhaps containing the remains of the Apostle. A press conference held on 11 December 2006 gave more details of the work of excavation, which lasted from 2002 to 22 September 2006, and which had been initiated after pilgrims to the basilica expressed disappointment that the Apostle's tomb could not be visited or touched during the Jubilee year of 2000. The sarcophagus was not extracted from its position, so that only one of its two longer sides is visible. In 2009 the Pope announced that radiocarbon dating confirmed that the bones in the tomb date from the 1st or 2nd century suggesting that they are indeed Paul's.
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Chef Reilly's Recipe of the Month
Healthy Chicken Wings recipe with On The Road Eats Seasoning...Try this super easy and super good chicken with recipe with On The Road Eats Meat Rub!
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LEARNING THE LANGUAGE
Travel will resume. When you travel your health is important. Although the guides, hotel staff and airline staff will most likely all know English, it is always a good idea to know some basic phrases in case of an emergency. Here are some phrases to know that may be helpful.
I am allergic to…
- Hebrew - Ani allergit le
- Arabic - 'ana 'ueani min hisasiat
- Greek - Eímai allergikós se
- Italian - Io sono allergico a
It hurts here (point to body part)
- Hebrew - Koev li kan
- Arabic - 'iinaha tulamuni huna
- Greek - Ponáei edó
- Italian - Mi fa male qui
Maranatha Tours Tour Guide Travel Book
In the Maranatha Tour Guide you will find itineraries, dates and prices for a few of the tours we have traveling Though The Bible. If after looking at the Tour Guide you find that the dates do not work with your schedule, please let us know. We will then see if we have other tours available that will match your needs. We have groups traveling throughout the year that might be a good fit.
Also, we have listed other trips that our Tour Hosts allowed us to show on our website. Please visit maranathatours.com and click Hosted Tours. Look for the dates you would like to go and see if there is space available on your requested tour. Each Tour Host listed is excited about you joining them on their trip of a lifetime.
If you would like to sign up for one of the enclosed tours, simply fill out the reservation form and return it along with your deposit to our office. We will then send you additional information regarding the tour.
If you are a Tour Host or Clergy: Join us on a ‘Your Tour’ customized to your exact specifications. Tour where and how you like. You can build the cost on a large or small group, with minimal increase for the latter. Other factors such as departure dates, length of tour, additional destinations, classification of hotels, site selection, specific guide requests and special times for study and devotion can be included in the planning of ‘your’ tour. We look forward to hearing from you and serving you on YOUR “Trip of a Lifetime.”