Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire, had “staying power.” His reign of nearly forty-one years (37 B.C. – A.D. 14) was the longest of the Empire. The Mausoleum he built for his remains has had “staying power” as well. Built in 28 B.C., it has had a continuous history for 2,053 years and counting!
Augustus (“great” or “venerable”) is mentioned in the Bible only once (Luke 2:1), but his importance in God’s plan for the world far exceeded that infrequency. He issued the decree which directed Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem, where Jesus’ birth fulfilled Old Testament prophecy (Micah 5:2). He is also credited with initiating the Pax Romana, a period of relative peace and prosperity in the Roman Empire (continued by his adopted son Tiberius until A.D. 37). This made possible the rapid spread of the Good News of Jesus, with the Christian faith extending throughout the Empire by the end of the first century.
(Credit: holylandphotos.org)
The Mausoleum, built alongside the Tiber River in Rome, has a diameter of about 87 meters and is the largest circular burial tomb ever known anywhere in the world. It is a massive circular structure, with concentric walls separated by a passage leading to a central tomb, and was originally topped by a gilded bronze statue of the Emperor.
After being abandoned and looted in medieval times, the mausoleum underwent numerous transformations. It was used as a fortress, a garden, an amphitheater, and, in the early twentieth century, as a concert hall. Between 1936-1938, the monument was restored to its original appearance. For the next seventy years, however, the mausoleum was left in a state of progressive neglect. Restoration work on the Mausoleum began again in 2016, and is scheduled for completion in 2026 with new landscaping lighting, accessibility, restoration of the burial chamber, and the setting up of a museum. It will then be open to the public.
Source: “Augustus’s Mausoleum,” Biblical Archaeology Review, Winter 2024, p. 27.
