Discuss the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus in terms of its social and artistic significance

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Elaborately carved sarcophagi became popular among wealthy Romans during the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE, when popular burial practices shifted from cremation to inhumation. This popularity led to the establishment of large production workshops throughout the Roman empire that turned them out by the thousands. They were often encrusted with sculptural relief. This one is covered with ten biblical scenes, each composed in its own, shallow architectural space defined by columns, entablatures, gables, and arches. Junious Bassus was a Roman high official. One image is of Christ as Cosmocrator, ruler of the Cosmos.