Early Christian Iconography and the Transformation of
Christianity Through the Apostolic Age
Christianity went through many radical changes from the
First through the Sixth century. The break with traditional Judaism and the
persecution by the Romans greatly influenced the development of the religion
itself. No where are these growths and transformations seen better
than in the iconography (painting and mosaic) of this period. Let us examine,
then, the development of Christian iconography of the 1st through 6th century,
and how the changes in the artwork are representative of changes occurring
within the religion itself.
It has been long believed that the first examples of
Christian iconography appear late in the second century. However, a new
generation of archaeologists and historians are beginning to examine First
century Judea much more closely, especially
since the release of the long-awaited information contained in the dead sea scrolls.
