79 78 the layout of their cemeteries and the characteristics of their tombs, we are able to reconstruct in surprising detail the demographic realities that shaped their daily lives. In short, the Jewish catacombs of Rome form a unique historical testi- mony to a community that succeeded in cultivating a very strong sense of Jewish self, within the context of the lively multicultural environment, that was the city of ancient Rome. In what follows, let us have a look at some of the more outstanding features of all this Jewish archaeological and epigraphical evidence from Rome, and let us try to unravel what this evidence tells us about one of the most important Jewish communi- ties of the ancient world. The Jewish Catacombs of Rome All in all, there used to be three Jewish catacombs and two smaller underground Jew- ish cemeteries or hypogea in Rome. Unfortunately, not all of them have survived the ravages of time. The oldest Jewish catacomb was located in what is today the city quarter of Monteverde Nuovo. Much of what we know about this catacomb we owe to archaeological excavations that took place at the beginning of the 20th century. At that time, many of the archaeological fnds, in particular the inscriptions, were removed. They are now on display at the Vatican Museums in Rome. In the years following its exploration this Jewish catacomb suffered majorly from collapse. As a result of this it was mostly destroyed. Recently, however, some galleries belonging to this catacomb were rediscovered accidentally. They were investigated by archaeologists, but, alas, very little of historical value was found in them. A second Jewish catacomb, which is still accessible, is known as the Vigna Randanini catacomb. It is located between the Via Appia Antica and the Via Appia Pignatelli. This catacomb contains wall paintings, fragments of sarcophagi, and inscriptions. The third Jewish catacomb can be found on the Via Nomentana, under Villa Torlonia. It consists of two independent Jewish cata- combs, located on different levels and interconnected by a staircase. These catacombs too contain fantastic wall paintings, sarcophagi fragments and inscriptions, some of which have been brushed onto the tombs using red paint. In addition to these catacombs there furthermore also used to be two hypogea, or Jewish underground cemeteries of smaller dimension (mostly consisting How did the Jewish community of Rome manage in Late Antiquity (3rd–5th cents. CE) and what did their daily lives look like? To answer that question let us turn to the rich archaeological heritage this extraordinary Jewish community has left behind. The city of Rome is in the fortunate position of being home to several subterranean cemeteries known as the Jewish catacombs and hypogea of ancient Rome. These underground Jewish burial grounds are truly amazing places. They con- sist of dark galleries that just go on and on and on. In fact, the Jewish catacombs are big enough for someone to get lost in them entirely, that is, if you are unwise enough to enter without an experienced guide, without decent lighting equipment, and with- out a proper topographical map. All in all the Jewish catacombs of Rome represent a true city of the dead—a mysterious hidden world in which little has changed and time seems to have stood still for more than 1500 years. In terms of formal appearance, the Jewish catacombs of Rome look very similar to the early Christian ones in that city, meaning that both consist of a long and intricate network of underground galleries, the walls of which are studded with tombs. This should be hardly surprising, considering that both the Jewish and the early Chris- tian catacombs served exactly the same purpose: properly to bury, in the appropriate communal setting, as many of one’s co-religionists as possible. What makes the Jewish catacombs Jewish is that they have been used for the burial of Jews and of Jews only. We know this to have been the case on the basis of the artwork and of the funerary inscriptions that survive in these Jewish catacombs of Rome. As for their historical, artistic, and cultural value, the importance of the Jewish catacombs and hypogea of Rome cannot be overestimated. Historians and ar- chaeologists consider the Jewish catacombs of Rome to be a true treasure-trove and rightly so. Housing thousands upon thousands of graves, these fascinating ancient Jewish cemeteries stand as a silent and impressive witness to a once fourishing com- munity. Yet, these catacombs are more than just silent witnesses. The archaeological and epigraphical evidence they contain is rich enough to allow us to paint a surpris- ingly detailed picture of what it was like for Jews to live in one of the major cultural and political centres of the Roman world. By looking at their art, one can get a sense even now of the degree to which these Roman Jews participated in the artistic trends characteristic of the Greco-Roman culture at large. By reading their funerary inscrip- tions, we can still gain access to what mattered to them most, as Jews. And by studying The Jewish Catacombs and the Jews of Rome in Late Antiquity Leonard V. Rutgers