The Jewish catacombs date from about 200 to 500 AD although Dutch research suggests they were started as early as 50BC. Inside the catacombs are several tombs decorated with stunning mosaics showing Jewish motifs such as the one in the photo. Although the catacombs are not currently open to the public, the city of Rome is working to restore them enough to open them in 2010. A very small number of people are allowed to visit by special permission. We visited as part of a tour with SecretGardensItaly. That's me on the right wearing a hard hat and admiring the stunning frescoes.
More about the Villa Torlonia Jewish catacombs from National Geogrpahic News and the International Catacomb Society.
