Vatican Museums

This marble slab from the Jewish catacomb of Monteverde, cut into two pieces in order to be reused, bears the funerary inscription of a woman named Regina (late third century). The long text in poetic verse combines praise for the deceased, composed by her beloved husband, with an admirable declaration of belief in the Hereafter: "again destined to return to the light, she can hope to rise again in the promised eternity (...) she who merits a seat in the venerable garden". It is an exceptional document for various reasons. The use of the Latin language and the poetic form, the unusual name and the absence of typical figurative elements lead to doubts, probably incorrect, that the woman belonged to the Jewish community. However, among the virtues of the deceased, one may not overlook the inclusion of "observance of the Law", a particular characteristic of Jewish religious culture.