59 



THE ORIENTATION OF ANCIENT CHURCHES. 

 By GEORGE WATSON. 



(Raid at Pcnriih.f 



The subject of this paper — the placing of Churches East and 

 West — may be thought by some persons not worth enquiring into; 

 and I am ready to admit that, so far as modern utiUtarian ideas 

 go, they may be right. But surely when we find a custom 

 religiously adhered to all over Christendom from the earliest 

 times, and in our own country observed with especial reverence, 

 we ought to consider it worth at least a brief investigation. In 

 Italy we are told there are many exceptions to the general rule of 

 orientation, originating, it is supposed, in the early christians taking 

 the basilicas and other public halls into use as places of worship, 

 not deeming their non-orientation any serious objection. 



When, however, old pagan temples were converted into churches, 

 or churches built upon their sites, the east and west position would, 

 for the most part, be found already fixed. Vitruvius, the father of 

 architectural literature, who, about the time of Christ, wrote what 

 is to this day the text-book of classical architecture, says, " If 

 nothing prevent, the temple should be so arranged that the image 

 may look towards the west;" consequently the worshippers would 

 look to the east. 



There is, however, a general opinion amongst men of research 

 that we should go still further back in time for the origin of the 

 reverence for the eastern point of the heavens, and find it in 

 * Inserted under Rule S. 



