Book excerpt: This important book is the revised Paperback edition. It presents the most recent scientific research on the Christian catacombs of Rome. In particular, it focuses on their origins and development, their artistic decoration and the inscriptions found there. Three chapters deal with the topography, iconography, and epigraphy of the catacombs, and abundant illustrations document the current state of the catacombs after the extensive restorations of recent years and incorporate the results of the latest excavations.