in Tropea, south Italy, which says: “Sacred to her good memory Leta Women in Early the presbyter….” Once again Leta, a female name, holds the title pres- byter. While some have suggested Christianity these were wives of priests, other evidence suggests they were actual- ly priests in their own right. by Carina O. Prestes In addition, the catacombs of San Genaro, Naples, have re- vealed two frescoes of ladies with LEFT: Carina Prestes at an Andrews’ archaeological team the four gospels over their heads. excavation site in Italy has been excavating a fourth-century The gospels are on fire, represent- ABOVE: Fresco of possible female funerary basilica and its surrounding ing the presence of the Holy Spirit. bishop found in Naples, Italy settlement in San Miceli, Sicily, Italy. The hands of the ladies are raised The basilica is the earliest Christian in a prayer position, and they church known on the island to date.1 have the Christian symbol Chi Rho saying: “divine things have gone A previous excavation revealed a (first two Greek letters of the word such contempt that women are lady buried inside the basilica, in Chriswtos, “Christ”) above them. encouraged to serve at the sacred front of the altar, beside the priest. They are clearly depicted as reli- altars….” This corroborates the The mosaic covering her tomb was gious people with authority. The idea that women actively partic- destroyed, obliterating her identity, act of holding the gospels over ipated in the leadership of the but the numerous golden objects a religious person’s head is still early church. and the bones inside the tomb were used in modern day for the ordi- The above-mentioned artifacts found intact, indicating she was a nation of bishops in the Roman and sources are all from the same wealthy leader of the church. Another Catholic tradition—and the Italian time period and are all geograph- element that calls attention is that scholars who found the frescoes ically located in South Italy. So is in the cemetery around the basilica have argued these women were the letter of pope Gelasius direct- an impressive number of female After some research, we came indeed bishops. ed to South Italy from the same burials were found—again with across a number of archaeological Regarding literary sources, inter- time period as the tombstones valuable jewelry indicating their artifacts as well as literary evidence estingly the few literary evidences and frescoes. These finds and oth- wealth and influence. Furthermore, regarding women’s participation in found of women participating in ers are forcing scholars, including there are an unusual number of Early Christianity in Sicily and south- leadership roles in early Christiani- myself, to re-evaluate the role of female saints in Sicily, indicating ern Italy. One of the archaeological ty come from the male prohibitions women in the early church. how important women were to the artifacts was a tombstone found in of female participation—indicating 1 The Bible mentions that the apostle Paul Sicilian Christians. All of the elements Centuripae, Sicily, which says: “Here that women were indeed leading stopped in Syracuse, Sicily, on his way to above have raised questions that lies Kale Presbyter….” Kale is a female out. One of these sources is from Rome (Acts 28:12). Thus, we are interested in the spread of Christianity in the island, have compelled us to look into female name that held the title presbyter. pope Gelasius I himself, who wrote how and when Christianity reached from participation in Early Christianity. Another similar tombstone was found a letter to South Italy in AD 495 Syracuse to San Miceli. RRESEARCHesearch Andrews University ANNUAL REPORT 11.