Welcome to five minutes in church history hosted by Dr Stephen Nichols, where we take a little

break from the present to go exploring the past. Travel back in time as we look at the people, events, and even the places that have shaped the story of Christianity.

This is our story, our family history. Let's get started.

Welcome back to another episode of five minutes in church history. On this

episode we're going to be talking about a church. This is the Archbasylica

St. John Lateran's Church. This churches in Rome, it was built over a military

fort that had been built in 193 AD. After the Battle of Mulvian Bridge, the fort was demolished by Constantine's troops.

And a few years later, in 313, Constantine gave the site to the Bishop of Rome,

and the rest is, well, history.

One of the many wonders that this church has

is an Egyptian obelisk.

It was originally at the temple of Karnak at Thebes and it was built by the Pharaoh

Tutmos the fourth. Constantine claimed it as he made his way through Egypt and he

sent it back to Rome.

Actually, he had intended it to go to Constantinople.

But his son wasn't paying that much attention when the orders were given,

and instead it, all 455 tons of it was loaded on a ship and sent to Rome.

In the 350s it was set up outside of the Circus Maximus and over the centuries

it just sort of fell into the ground and was buried.

Eventually it was dug up and in 1588 it was installed in front of the Lateran Church. This church also has a significant set of

sculptures, a dozen sculptures of the original 12 disciples. It also has a

statue of Moses. It has that statue of Moses with the horns coming out of his head.

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