21. Exterior view of the temple

After the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven, the Apostles and the first Christians in Jerusalem, following the example of the Savior, dwelt in the temple, glorified and blessed God (Luke 24:53, Acts 2:46), visited the synagogues of the Jews, and, on the other hand, formed their own Christian meetings in private homes (Acts 5:42; 12:12; 20:8). Outside and beyond Jerusalem, Christians celebrated divine services in their home churches. (Romans 14:4; Col. 4:15) As a result of the persecution of Christians, the liturgical meetings of Christians became more secretive. For prayer in general and especially for the celebration of the Sacrament of Communion, Christians gathered in the homes of rich coreligionists. Here the room furthest from the outer entrance and the noise of the street was usually set aside for prayer, which was called by the Greeks "ikos" (in Greek ????? — ikos), and by the Romans "ekus". In appearance, the "ikos" were oblong (sometimes two-storeyed) rooms, with columns along the length, sometimes dividing the ikos into three parts; The middle space of the ikos was sometimes higher and wider than the lateral ones (Fig. 3-4, p. 1). During the persecutions, Christians gathered for prayer even in underground churches set up in the so-called catacombs (which we will talk about later). In the same places and in the same periods when there was no persecution, Christians could and did build their own separate churches (from the end of the second and the beginning of the third century), although sometimes they were again destroyed at the whim of the persecutors.

When, by the will of the Holy Spirit. Equal-to-the-Apostles Emperor Constantine (at the beginning of the IV century), the persecution of Christians finally ceased, then Christian churches appeared everywhere and constituted not only an indispensable accessory of Christian worship, not only the best decoration of every city and village, but a national treasure and shrine of every state.

From these III-IV centuries, the open Christian churches took on a certain external and internal form or appearance, namely: - (somewhat reminiscent of a ship) the shape of an oblong quadrangle with a small protrusion at the entrance and a rounding on the side opposite to the entrance (Fig. 5, sheet 2). The interior of this quadrangle was divided by rows of columns into three and sometimes five compartments, called "naves" or ships. Each of the side compartments (naves) also ended in a semicircular ledge, or apse. The middle nave was higher than the side ones; In the uppermost, protruding part of the middle nave, there were windows, which, however, were sometimes located on the outer walls of the side naves. On the side of the entrance there was a vestibule, called a "vestibule" (or narfix) and a "portico" (porch). An abundance of light and air is noticed inside. The distinctive features of the plan and architecture of such a Christian church are, starting from the IV century, the division into naves, apses, narthex, an abundance of light, and internal columns. The whole such church is called a church basilica or a longitudinal church (Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, sheets 2 and 3).

22. The origin of the basilica

In the history of the Church of Christ, everything is dear, valuable and instructive. In particular, it is instructive to ask: under the influence of what model did Christian churches begin to be built in the form of a quadrangle? How did the Christian basilica originate? In order to resolve this question, it must be remembered that the Christian faith and morality in no way stifle man's spiritual powers and talents, for example, poetic talent, inclination to music and drawing, scientific aspirations, including man's ability to build his dwellings and sacred buildings skillfully, firmly and comfortably. Talents are given by God and, with God's help, can be improved and strengthened. (Let us remember the Savior's parable of the talents!). Any talent and art are pleasing to God, if a person does not lose faith in God and does not deviate from a good and pious life. Naturally, therefore, there was also an architectural talent to attract to the service of God. But the abilities, taste, and ability of Christians to build buildings and churches in the space of the millennium of the existence of the Church of Christ were different, and therefore their appearance was not the same. At the time when the Christian faith began to spread widely among the Greeks and Romans, i.e., in the third and fourth centuries, the most beautiful buildings were still considered to be those built according to the plan of an oblong quadrangle with naves, columns, apses, and porticoes, which were called "basilicas," and it was this best kind of construction that was given to the service of God.

To this first reason, which was hidden in the depths of the Christian heart, two others were added. One of them is that of the "Upper Room of Zion", where Jesus Christ celebrated the Last Supper, and the first prayer rooms or "ikos" of the first Christians also had the shape of an oblong quadrangle. Remembering these "house" churches, the following Christians could fearlessly pray and build open temples resembling ikos and basilicas. A new additional reason why Christians began to build their churches in the form of an oblong quadrangle (divided into parts, with apses) was respect for the catacombs and the churches located in them. Now let's get acquainted with the catacombs.

23. Катакомбые церкви

Катакомбами называются подземелья, в которых христиане во времена гонения, в первые три века, хоронили своих умерших, скрывались от преследования и совершали богослужение 8. По своему устройству катакомбы представляют сеть переплетающихся коридоров или галерей, на протяжении которых встречаются более или менее обширные комнаты. Идя по одному из коридоров, можно встретить другой коридор, пересекающий путь, и тогда перед путником являются три дороги: прямо, направо и налево. И по какому бы направлению не идти дальше, расположение коридоров одно и то же. После нескольких шагов по коридору встречается новый коридор или целая комната, от которой ведет несколько новых путей. Путешествуя по этим коридорам более или менее продолжительное время, можно незаметно для себя, перейти в следующий нижний этаж. Коридоры узки и низки, комнаты же, встречающиеся на пути, различной величины: малые, средние и большие. Первые носят название "кубикул", вторые — "крипт", а третьи — "капелл". Кубикулы (от слова cubiculum — постель), являлись погребальными склепами, а крипты и капеллы — подземными церквами. Здесь-то во время гонений христиане совершали богослужение. Крипты могли вместить до 70 — 80 молящихся, а капеллы гораздо большее количество — до 150 человек (рис. 13 –20, л. 3, 4 и 5).

24. Крипты и капеллы

Применительно к потребностям христианского богослужения, передняя часть крипт предназначалась для духовенства, а остальные для мирян. В глубине крипты находилась полукруглая апсида, отделенная низкою решеткою. В этой апсиде устраивалась гробница мученика, служившая престолом для совершения Св. Евхаристии 9. По сторонам такого престола-гробницы шли места для епископа, пресвитеров. Средняя часть в крипте не имела специальных приспособлений. Капеллы отличались от крипт не только большею величиною, но и внутренним расположением. Крипты состоят большею частью из одного помещения (комнаты), а капеллы имеют их несколько. В криптах нет отдельных алтарей, в капеллах они есть; в криптах женщины и мужчины молились вместе, а в капеллах для женщин было особое помещение. В передней части крипт и капелл пол изредка устраивался выше остальной части подземных Церквей. В стенах устраивались углубления для погребения умерших, а сами стены украшались священными изображениями.