Columnar Sarcophagus with Symbolic Anastasis and Acclaiming Apostles: Detail, the central section

The center to which the twelve apostles approach is a symbolic representation of the Anastasis or Resurrection of Christ. The two men at the bottom dressed as soldiers represent the guards appointed to watch over the tomb. The cross between them (now partly broken off) references the death of Jesus, and the enwreathed chi-rho above symbolizes the resurrected Christ. Birds are conventional symbols for the soul.

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Photographed at the Museo Pio Cristiano by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.