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Saint Peter’s Basilica is one of the premier sites of Christianity. It’s said to mark the location where Simon Peter—one of Jesus’s most important followers—was killed and buried. It is now the heart of the Roman Catholic Church. But is the story true? Is Peter really buried here? What would have brought a small-time Galilean fisherman all the way here, to the capital of the Roman Empire? We’ll find out in the next few minutes!

Paul of Tarsus was a Christian missionary who traveled throughout the first-century world spreading what he called the good news of Jesus. Paul founded several churches in the eastern Mediterranean, and he is traditionally believed to have written thirteen books of the Christian scriptures. Later in his career, Paul traveled to Rome. It seems probable that his journey ended at St. Paul's Outside the Walls. What happened that brought him to this place? Join us and we'll find out!

Santa Pudenziana is a site that’s a bit obscure, and it’s certainly not one of Rome’s most visited churches. But it’s an ancient place, and quite significant in its own way. Here you can examine the origin of Rome’s church buildings, and see some of the earliest remains of Christian worship anywhere in the world.

Listener Donald Griffith wanted to know if there was a connection between the Circus Maximus and the New Testament book of James. The Circus Maximus was the oldest and largest stadium in the city of Rome, and even today its 600 meter length dominates the area. But does this site intersect at all with the New Testament? There may not exactly be a connection, but there is an interesting contrast between the way that the two represent generosity and concern for the poor.

Trajan’s market was built by one of Rome’s greatest emperors, and it’s a fascinating piece of ancient engineering. But it also is one of the best places to come to terms with the economic might of ancient Rome—and with the criticism of that economy that is found in the New Testament book of Revelation.

Trajan’s column and basilica—it doesn’t get more Roman than this. Standing among the ruins of one of Rome’s greatest emperors, you’re also deeply connected to Christian history. This tour has two stops; at both we’ll examine the Roman persecution of Christians. You’ll end your tour very close to Trajan’s market, and there is a separate tour for that site. You might consider tagging a stop at the markets onto the end of this tour.

Standing between the Arch of Constantine and the Colosseum is a good spot to experience two events which had a tremendous impact on the Christian faith. In the Colosseum we see a structure built by the emperor Vespasian, who captured Jerusalem and destroyed its Jewish temple. In the arch we see a monument to the emperor Constantine, who began the Christianization of Europe.

Subsequent episodes are an on-the-ground guide to various sites in Rome, explaining what you’re seeing and how it intersects with the Christian story. This episode is a bit different, and today we’ll cover three things. First, we’ll talk about the purpose and the format of these podcast tours. Second, you’ll get a crash course on Roman history. Finally, we’ll end with a brief overview of the origins of Christianity.