Virtual guide inspires fresh thinking about New Testament times

A virtual guide that tells the story of what it was like to live in New Testament times has been launched by the Centre for Biblical Studies.

Led by Prof Peter Oakes, this vivid new resource transports readers to Pompeii, where the city’s rich evidence of ancient living conditions provides key information for understanding urban Christian gatherings at a time long before church buildings were built.

The virtual guide ‘Entering Early Christianity via Pompeii’ uses real dwellings and meeting places in the Roman town to explore into how diverse groups of people formed new communities and worked out the day-to-day implications of their new faith.

The guide is freely available online to anybody with an interest in Christian origins, New Testament texts or Roman history, and users are invited to submit their thoughts using the Feedback section of the page.