List of late antique baptismal packages

The list of late antique baptismal piscines includes basins for whole-body baptism at ground level or in the ground , which are well preserved and accessible to the public. Both the piscines and the buildings in which they are located are referred to in literature as the baptistery .

Early Christianity participated in the Greco-Roman bathing culture. In late antiquity, this led to the use of thermal baths for baptism and the construction of baptisteries. The architectural model was ancient bathrooms, which were always central rooms, mostly with a square floor plan, often vaulted with a dome. The orientation of the room is related to its center, where the baptismal font is located. Sometimes remains of a superstructure ( ciborium ) have been preserved, on which curtains could be hung as privacy screens. The baptismal font (lat. Piscina ) took over the name and shape of ancient water basins; all forms of baptismal font also occur in profane contexts. About 30% of the pools were round, 23% rectangular or square, 16% octagonal, 16% cruciform. The latter suggests a Christian interpretation, but it also appeared before in secular buildings.

List sorted by country

image	country	place	description
	Albania	Butrint Location	Built into an ancient bathing complex, using the existing system of supply and discharge of water. The archaeologists found water reservoirs, underground pipes and a heater for the baptismal water.
	Algeria	Hippo Regius (Annaba)	Early 5th century. Cross-shaped baptismal piscina under a canopy supported by four columns.
	Bulgaria	Byala, Sveti Atanas Location	During the excavations of an ancient fortress on the Black Sea coast, a total of three baptismal fonts came to light in 2012, one inside a basilica and the other two a few meters outside the church building, one on top of the other, one from the 5th and one from the 6th century. Two of the piscines were cruciform in plan. The excavators assume that changes in the baptismal ritual made it necessary to build a third baptismal font.
	Germany	Boppard, St. Severus	In the Roman fort of Boppard, after the withdrawal of the military, the civilian population set up a hall church in the 5th century; In an adjoining room there was a baptismal font with a diameter of 1.30 m and a depth of 0.6 m. A circumferential, circular wall carried wooden posts of a canopy ( ciborium ). In the course of the interior renovation of the parish church of St. Severus, the access to the early Christian baptismal font, which is located under the main nave, was improved.
	Germany	Cologne, archaeological zone at the cathedral	6th century. The octagonal baptismal font with curved side walls was preserved from the baptistery at Cologne Cathedral. During the redesign of the eastern area around the cathedral, a porch for the baptistery was created between 2004 and 2006; the baptismal font can be seen at any time through a panorama window.
	France	Aix-en-Provence, Baptistery of the Saint Sauveur Cathedral Location
	France	Cemenelum ( Cimiez ), Baptistery Location	In the 4th century a Christian church was built into the largest bathing complex in Roman Gaul. The hexagonal baptismal piscina remained of the baptistery and leads down to three steps.
	France	Châteauneuf-Grasse, Notre-Dame du Brusc Location	6th century?
	France	Fréjus , Saint-Léonce cathedral Location	The baptismal piscina is supplemented by a basin for the washing of the feet ( dolium ), which takes place according to the Ambrosian rite before full-body baptism. Of the eight columns that supported the canopy ( ciborium ), only one is partially preserved.
	France	Poitiers, Saint-Jean Baptistery Location	Octagonal baptismal piscina leading down to four steps; 1.30 meters deep. The inflow and outflow of the water was regulated via terracotta pipes.
	Greece	Rhodes, Ialyssos Location
	Greece	Paros, Panagia Ekatontapyliani Location
	Israel	Avdat National Park , North Church Location
	Israel	Schivta National Park , South Church Location	In the anteroom of the south church there is a baptistery with a cross-shaped baptismal font, into which the person to be baptized descends on steps on one side and from which he emerges on the opposite side after receiving the baptism. According to an inscription on a lintel, the south church was built from 415 to 430.
	Italy	Aquileia, basilica Location
	Italy	Grado (Friuli Venezia Giulia), Baptistery Location	6th century.
	Italy	Milan, San Giovanni alle Fonti Location	2nd half of the 4th century.
	Italy	Naples, Cathedral of Santa Restituta, Baptistery of San Giovanni in Fonte Location
	Italy	Nocera Superiore, Santa Maria Maggiore Location	Built into an ancient bathing complex, using the existing system of supply and discharge of water.
	Italy	Ravenna, Baptistery of Neon Location	The ceiling mosaic depicting the baptism of Jesus (around 458), with which the catechumens connected at baptism, was reflected in the water.
	Jordan	Moses Memorial Church on Mount Nebo Location
	Jordan	Petra , basilica Location	Cross-shaped baptismal font framed by four columns. The pillars probably had a canopy.
	Croatia	Poreč, cathedral complex in the old town Location
	Libya	Apollonia, East Basilica Location
	Libya	Sabratha , Apuleus Basilica Location
	North Macedonia	Ohrid
	North Macedonia	Stobi , basilica of Bishop Philip Location	5th century. To the south of the basilica is the domed baptistery with a mosaic floor and frescoes on the walls.
	Northern Cyprus	Agia Trias (Sipahi) Location	6th century.
	Palestine	Emmaus Nicopolis Location	5th century.
	Portugal	Torre de Palma, Villa Lusitano-Romana Location	Conversion of a thermal bath with a church, baptistery and burial ground.
	Switzerland	Riva San Vitale, Baptistery Location	The 6th century baptistery, consecrated to John the Baptist, is the oldest Christian building in Switzerland. In the floor, under the monolithic baptismal font (around 1200), there is the octagonal baptismal piscina.
	Slovenia	Ljubljana, Emona Baptistery Location
	Spain	El Bovalar, early Christian basilica	6th century. Basin for submersion, vaulted by a canopy: barrel vault on originally six columns with horseshoe-shaped arches. Today at the Museu de Lleida .
	Spain	Mallorca, basilica of Son Peretó Location
	Spain	San Pedro Alcántara, Basilica of Vega del Mar Location	Very well preserved piscina for the immersion baptism; Added to the basilica built around 500 in the middle of the 6th century.
	Spain	Santianes de Pravia , San Juan Location
	Syria	Qal'at Sim'an Location
	Tunisia	Bekalta (El Gaala)	7th century. Only discovered by Leptis Minor in 1993 in the rural area . The piscina, which takes up a square of about five meters, is lined with mosaics depicting birds, acanthus tendrils, flowers and fruits. In the center a decorated Greek cross with alpha and omega. Eight-pass, with round and square niches alternating. From each of the eight niches, two steps lead down to the middle of the piscina. An inscription paraphrases the Bible passage Lk 2.14. Today in the Archaeological Museum of Sousse.
	Tunisia	Bulla Regia , Church of the Priest Alexander Location	5th / 6th Century. Cross-shaped plan; two marble slabs separate the side arms from the actual rectangular baptismal piscina, creating dry locations for the priest or deacon. The Piscina, which leads down and back up the steps, is almost two meters deep.
	Tunisia	Djerba, Baptistery of Meninx (El Kantara)	Today in the National Museum of Bardo .
	Tunisia	Hammam Ghezèze, Baptistery of Clipea (Kélibia)	Circumferential inscription: “Dedicated to the most blessed, St. Cyprian, bishop and high priest, as well as St. Adelphius, a presbyter, in unity with him. Aquinius and his Juliana, with the family and - thank God! - their children had these mosaics made for the pleasant waters of eternal life. " Today in the National Museum of Bardo.
	Tunisia	Sufetula ( Sbeitla ), church of the priest Vitalis Location	5th / early 6th century. Unusual, lip-like floor plan with four deep steps on the narrow sides.
	Tunisia	Sufetula (Sbeitla), Church of Servus Location	The baptistery was built into the cella of a pagan temple. The piscina consists of a round baptismal font on the lowest level, above it a quatrefoil on the middle level and a rounded hexagon on the top level.
	Tunisia	Thuburbo Majus Location
	Turkey	Alahan, monastery Location
	Turkey	Ephesus (Selçuk), St. John's Basilica Location
	Turkey	Ephesus (Selçuk), St. Mary's Church Location
	Turkey	Istanbul, Hagia Sophia Location	The baptismal font consists of a single block of marble, 3.3 meters long, 2.5 meters wide and 1.5 meters high. It is older than Hagia Sophia and originally stood in the baptistery. From there it was removed in the 17th century and moved to the atrium.

literature

• J. Patout Burns, Robin M. Jensen: Christianity in Roman Africa: The Development of Its Practices and Beliefs . Eerdmans, Grand Rapids / Cambridge 2014. ISBN 978-0-8028-6931-9 .
• Robin M. Jensen: Living Water: Images, Symbols, and Settings of Early Christian Baptism . Brill, Leiden 2011. ISBN 978-9004-18898-3 .
• Peter Poscharsky : The place of baptism . In: Bettina Seyderhelm (Ed.): A thousand years of baptisms in Central Germany , Schnell & Steiner, Regensburg 2006, ISBN 978-3-7954-1893-9 . Pp. 21-27.
• Hannah Schneider: The development of the baptismal font in late antiquity. In: David Hellholm, Tor Vegge, Øyvind Norderval, Christer Hellholm: ablutions, initiation and baptism: late antiquity, early Judaism and early Christianity (= supplements to the journal for New Testament science and for the knowledge of the older church ). Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / Boston 2011 ISBN 978-3-11-024751-0 . Pp. 1697-1720.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Peter Poscharsky: The place of baptism . S. 22 .
2. ↑ Peter Poscharsky: The place of baptism . S. 22-23 .
3. ↑ ^{a b} Peter Poscharsky: The place of baptism . S. 23 .
4. ↑ ^{a b c} Robin Jensen: Living Water . S. 230 .
5. ^ Robin Jensen: Living Water . S. 228 .
6. ^ Archeology: Early Christian baptismal fonts found at ancient fortress site in Bulgaria's Byala. In: The Sofia Globe. September 27, 2012, accessed October 20, 2018 . 
7. ^ Boppard on the Middle Rhine - Early Christian Church. In: regionalgeschichte.net. Retrieved October 16, 2018 . 
8. ↑ Suzanne Breitbach: The 1600 year old baptismal font in Boppard can be experienced. In: Rhein-Zeitung. July 7, 2011, accessed October 16, 2018 . 
9. ↑ Baptistery. In: Cologne Cathedral. Retrieved October 16, 2018 . 
10. ↑ Cimiez Baptismal Font. Retrieved October 19, 2018 . 
11. ↑ Fréjus, Baptistery. Retrieved October 19, 2018 . 
12. ^ Robert Milburn, Robert Leslie Pollington Milburn: Early Christian Art and Architecture . University of California Press, Berkeley / Los Angeles 1988, ISBN 0-520-06326-0 , pp. 214 .
13. ↑ Grado Baptismal font in the Baptistery. Retrieved October 19, 2018 . 
14. ^ Petra / Basilica / Baptistery. In: Kiel Image Database Middle East. Retrieved October 18, 2018 . 
15. ^ Stobi - what's discovered. In: Macedonia portal. Retrieved October 18, 2018 . 
16. ↑ Baptistery of Bovalar (Seròs). In: Generalitat de Catalunya. Retrieved October 19, 2018 . 
17. ^ Roger Collins: Spain: An Oxford Archaeological Guide . Oxford University Press, Oxford / New York 1998, pp. 237 .
18. ^ Robin Jensen: Living Water . S. 218 .
19. ^ Robin Jensen: Living Water . S. 227 .
20. ^ Robin Jensen: Living Water . S. 220 .
21. ↑ Bulla Regia Baptismal Font. Retrieved October 19, 2018 . 
22. ^ J. Patout Burns, Robin M. Jensen: Christianity in Roman Africa: The Development of Its Practices and Beliefs . Ed .: J. Patout Burns, Robin M. Jensen. S. 112 .
23. ↑ Saint Vitalis Baptismal Font and Baptistery Wall, Site Context. Retrieved October 19, 2018 . 
24. ^ J. Patout Burns, Robin M. Jensen: Christianity in Roman Africa: The Development of Its Practices and Beliefs . Ed .: J. Patout Burns, Robin M. Jensen. S. 109 .
25. ↑ The Hagia Sophia in new splendor. In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung. March 12, 2011, accessed October 18, 2018 .