Day 14: Have we seriously been here for two weeks?..

The time really has flown by thus far. My two week report: sensory overload and exhaustion....except for Pizza Colonna, home of the 2 euro pizza. As long as their elysian connections of dough and topping still exist for 2-4 euros, then that sense will never be exhausted.

I'll explain this masterful Monday in the same way I explained yesterday, in "three." Specifically, three churches.

1. Basilica San Clemente: Chris and I embarked on our first solo mission, free of professors, in hopes that we would be able to make our own connections. Thankfully, we started at San Clemente near the Colosseum, which is a church rich in history. In the first century, the original church has been proved to be a site of mithraic worship and education. The Cult of Mithra was a rival to christianity in the first century. In the 8th Century, a basilica was built on top of the old mithraeum. Then, in the 12th Century, the current basilica was built. The current basilica is heavy in pagan icons relating to christian figures in its mosaics and other forms of art. For example, in the photos below, we see a line of lambs and a center lamb with a halo ..Halo Jesus, how are you doing?..Other pagan depictions are the deer as Artemis. Also, in the far left corner of the right photo, we see an eagle with a halo (John). I was told to stop taking pictures, so I was not able to show the animal representations of the synoptics, but each of the synoptic writers in animal for with a halo.

2. Parrocchia San Eugenio: My first confession experience in Rome. It was a pretty awkward experience. No laminated sign on the confessional saying "English", but I saw that there was a priest. Figured, why not? It was a fun experience. He opened with something in Italian and I was like "inglese?" The priest chuckled and said "Ohh I'll try my best in a heavy Italian accent." But, as I said before. God has no boundaries.

3. Santi Giovanni e Paolo: First....Can I please have an explanation as to why the laws of physics much work perfectly in my disfavor. Somewhere along the line I must have upset Saints John and Paul, as they sent a small message from the posterior of a pigeon and onto my head. This, right after I removed my cap in reverence of the holy ground I was walking on. Keepin' it real J & P, much love.........
But in getting over this trauma, Chris and I journeyed to the scavi underneath Giovanni e Paolo. We begain to make as many connections as possible. We were able to point out which rooms were and were not living quarters, and which rooms were specifically the rooms for worship of sorts. However, one set of paintings were particularly striking. Supposedly, the scavi is dated to 3rd Century. The set of paintings are particularly interesting because they portray biblical scenes: the crucifixion of Jesus and the separating of his garments at a table. As in John 19:23-24, "Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled." Again, I was asked to not take photos after this shot, but we see Jesus' crucifixion in the left hand corner. he is clothed modestly in what looks to be some sort of dyed tunic. At the table, according to archaeologists and scholars, is the dividing of Jesus' garments while he is on the cross and Mary at  his feet. It seems that the earlier we go in Jesus' crucifixion depictions, the more clothing he has and the less torn he himself looks. Potentially a way to restore his honor and not to horribly remind his followers what happened to him.