Early Christians followed their pagan counterparts in marking the graves of their people. Yet, there were distinct elements that Christians sought to include in their burial inscriptions. Much has been written about these distinctions in the literature, and yet there are more avenues to consider. For instance, while extant epigraphic and funerary epitaphs of members of the Christian household have been detailed, there is not currently a recent study into patterns detailing what Christian family and household members intended as they made inscriptions on the graves of their family members. This paper argues that one intent in early Christian funerary inscriptions was to demonstrate that the deceased family member was in the care of the Head of the spiritual family, and thus alongside the name of the individual, the “family name” of the Triune God was invoked.
First, the paper will summarize the current research in Christian epigraphy to set the stage for the examination. Secondly, the extant epigraphic remains that point to specific references by living family members of a deceased family member and the larger spiritual family to which they belonged will be examined. Thirdly, after comparing extant data, this paper will make the argument that burial inscriptions were a part of marking the deceased household and family member with the spiritual family name. To limit the scope and manageability of this paper, only extant epigraphic remains from the first four centuries of Christianity will be considered. This date range allows for proper consideration to be given in a limited paper, and it will also serve as an inquiry into largely pre-Nicene Christian burial epigraphy.