In contrast to how many Catholic and Church of England churches are dedicated to saints often non-conformist places of worship, with a greater emphasis on the authority of scripture, are named for Biblical places; Zion is frequently used. It references both the literal Mount Zion, the hill in Jerusalem where the Temple of Solomon was built, and the metaphorical sense of Zion as heaven, a place of refuge, where God meets his people. The chapel is the place where the congregation can commune with God. The use is distinct from the way in which Zion became a synonym for Jerusalem and the wider land of Israel and its use by the 19th century movement that called for the establishment of a Jewish state.
This is part of the Sub-Series: RCH01/002/115 Rchme Architectural Requests: Wiltshire; within the Series: RCH01/002 Royal Commission On The Historical Monuments Of England: Architectural Requests; within the Collection: RCH01 Royal Commission On The Historical Monuments Of England (Rchme) Archive
© Crown Copyright. Historic England Archive
Photographer: Furbank, Len
Baptist Chapel
