LAMPS AND LIGHTING, EARLY CHRISTIAN

Few exact data exist regarding the use of lamps and lighting in the primitive Christian house churches (see basilica);but two elements were present: (1) the use of artificial light for utilitarian or prudential reasons during the night vigil services and the evening liturgies as indicated in 1 Cor 11.21; need to repudiate pagan calumnies concerning debauchery at Christian worship services. (2) Light was employed also for specifically liturgical purposes. The first element accounts for the instance reported in Acts 20.7–8, and the frequent symbolicohomiletical references to lighting equipment in Rv 1.12;4.5; 11.4 imply the second element.

When worship services began to be held in the catacombs, the two elements were combined—to honor the martyrs and to supply constant illumination. The utilitarian and liturgical elements are succinctly combined in the phrase in the Testament of Our Lord: "all places should be lighted both for symbolism and for reading." For this purpose small terra-cotta lamps, plain or decorated with Christian symbols, were used, as is attested by the numerous discoveries in the catacombs.

The transition to a daytime use of lights no longer serving any utilitarian purpose at liturgical functions was a gradual one. There is some evidence of a protest among the 4th-century Fathers against a practice disturbingly redolent of pagan customs and unjustified by need or usefulness (Lactantius, Institut. Div., 6.2; Jerome, Contra Vigilantium, 6; Gregory of Nazianzus, Orat., 5.35).

An inventory of the furnishings of the church of Cirta, dating from the early 4th century, lists seven silver lamps, two chandeliers, seven small brass candelabra with lamps, and 11 lamps with chains to hang them by. Lamps and chandeliers began to be presented to individual churches in the early 4th century (Liber pontificalis 1: 173–176).

The Constantinian Peace of the Church (313) and the subsequent enhancement of the status of Christian churches brought a great development in lighting. paulinus of nola and prudentius are most valuable informants. Paulinus speaks of a perpetual light (continuum scyphus argenteus aptus ad usum; Patrologia Latina 61:539). This source from which all lamps could readily be lighted when desired had a utilitarian purpose. It also served as watch light against thieves and cannot be considered as indicative of a special cult of the Blessed Sacrament. Paulinus himself introduced colored candles whose papyrus wick gave off a heady perfume while burning (Patrologia Latina 61:467). Prudentius comments enthusiastically on the richness of the lighting in Christian churches (Patrologia Latina 69:819, 829). Constantine I presented to the Lateran two sets of seven 10-foot bronze candelabra and hanging coronae (phari, canthari, stantarea ) with as many as 120 dolphin-shaped branches, each supporting one or more lamps (Liber pontificalis 1:173–176).

Jerome speaks of the "custom, through all the churches of the East, that when the Gospels are to be read, lights are kindled, though the sun is already shining, not indeed to dispel darkness but to show a token of joy" (Contra Vigilantium 7). Eusebius of Caesarea indicates the use of candles at funeral ceremonies when he writes that Constantine's body lay in state and "they lighted candles on golden stands around it …" (Vita Const. 4.66); and Constantius's Vita S. Germani says that at the funeral of this 5th-century bishop of Auxerre "the multitude of lights eclipsed the rays of the sun and maintained their brightness even through the day" (20.24). The burning of candles and lamps before martyrs' relics probably developed from this funeral custom and was already practiced in Jerome's day (Contra Vigilantium 6).

All early representations of the Last Supper show a lamp hanging over the table; and the Jerusalem pilgrim (c. 550), author of the Breviarius, was shown the alleged original. The Syrian Narsai (d. 512) has a description of the liturgy remarking that "the altar stands crowned with beauty and splendor and upon it is the Gospel of life and the adorable wood … the censors are smoking, the lamps shining" [R. H. Connolly, Liturgical Homilies of Narsai (Cambridge 1909) 12]. By this time, use of lamps and candles around, but apparently not actually on, the altar had become universal.

In the course of the 5th century, bronze began to be substituted for more precious metals; but the ecclesiastical lighting equipment was among the last to make the substitution.

See Also: light, liturgical use of.

Bibliography: h. leclercq, Dictionnaire d'archéologie chrétienne et de liturgie, ed. f. carroll, h. leclerq, and h. i. marrou, 15 v. (Paris 1907–53) 2.2:1834–42; 3.1:210–215; 4.2:1726–30. a. weckwerth, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 6:990–991; Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte 69 (1958) 71–76. h. schnell, Das Münster, v.1 (Münster 1947) 103-.

[a. g. gibson]