»Wahrlich, ich sage dir: Heute wirst du mit mir im Paradies sein!«. Zur Verortung der Verstorbenen in der Katakombenmalerei
JbAC 63 (2020) Seiten: 54-77
mit Tafeln 5/6
Roman catacomb paintings show a multitude of deceased people in the afterlife. To
date, it has not been possible to clarify conclusively what kind of otherworldly place
is depicted. Is it an Elysian realm, as known from pagan traditions, is it a temporary
place like the refrigerium interim, where the souls of the deceased must wait until the
Last Judgement, or is it instead an eternal otherworldly place? To clarify this question,
the following is explored: Does the context in which the deceased are presented in
the images give any clues to their conceived whereabouts? Can this place be identified
by statements in written sources? Are there indications of the physical condition of the
deceased that might suggest their resurrection status? It turns out that – as in the literary
sources – a variety of concepts are depicted. Surprisingly, fewer representations are
likely to show a finite refrigerium than previously thought. Rather, it must be assumed
that in various catacomb paintings people are already shown in the resurrection body.
Lara S. L. Mührenberg