1. Pompeii and Herculaneum

2. Built a short distance outside the walls of Pompeii, the "Villa of the Mysteries" is a typical example of an elegant house designed for luxurious living as well as for the management of a farm (or, in this case, a vineyard). It was likely that the landowner lived in the city, leaving the house to the management of a steward. (For a better understanding, consider Luke 12:41-48.) Discovered in 1902, the villa was almost entirely restored by 1930. At this site we can find all the functional, decorative, and architectural elements of Pompeian life.

3. There are many things to see in the Villa of the Mysteries, but what must not be missed are the scenes painted on the walls of this room from which the villa's name was derived. Most agree that this is one of the greatest masterpieces of antiquity. With a Pompeian red background, there are 29 life-size figures painted in chronological order, much like a modern comic strip. Most authorities believe the fresco is a record of a pagan rite of passage or entrance into the cult of Dionysus, god of wine and debauchery. (His Roman name was Bacchus.) The average person in the first century would not be familiar with the secrets (or "mysteries") involved in the initiation ceremony (called Bacchanalia) that was reserved for those who were members of the cult.