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iblical narrative themes and images: representation, origin, and meaning 83
Several copper strips, presumably from a liturgical
box probably from a church and found at
Umm al-Kundum, Jordan are decorated with
medallions in relief. among them is the scene of
Daniel flanked by a pair of lions (Piccirillo 1993:
316, fig. 657). At Sfax (and Bordj-el-Ioudi) in
North Africa Daniel in the Lions’ Den is depicted
in an 5th-6th century Early Christian tombmosaic;
Dunbabin (1978: 191-2, pl. 191) argues
that this representation is a standardized motif
modelled on designs decorating mass-produced
earthenware, pottery, and lamps. A relief from
Thasos, dated to the 6th century, shows Daniel in
the Lions’ Den wearing Persian-Phrygian attire.
His hands are in orans posture and he is flanked
by a lioness on his right and a lion on his left
(Grabar 1963: 48, pl. 17; Mathews 1993: 77-78,
fig. 55).
Scholars relate the theme of Daniel in the
Lions’ Den to a death cult and assume that the
scene symbolizes a person who is saved because of
his beliefs. Goodenough (1953, II: 129) maintains
that the Daniel scene at Na#aran symbolizes victory
over death, as illustrated by the word shalom.
Grabar (1968: 8) contends that figures such as
Daniel, Noah, and others in Christian funerary art
are ‘allegories of the soul of the pious believer and
of Christ as the shepherd’ (see Berliner-Landau
1994 for a different interpretation).
The theme of Daniel in the Lions’ Den, in
contrast to the other Biblical scenes found on
synagogue pavements, is depicted symbolically
and not in the narrative style used elsewhere.
The representation of a figure flanked by lions
might have been enough to suggest the theme to
observers, because the story concerns only Daniel
himself and the lions.
The Twelve Tribes
The nave pavement of the Yaphi‘a synagogue,
which is mostly destroyed, was probably divided
into panels, of which only the westernmost has
survived. It shows a square panel containing a
large circle, within which another, smaller circle
is inscribed. In the space between the two circles
twelve small interlacing circles appear. Unfortunately
only two of these circles have survived
(Sukenik 1951: 6-24, fig. 5, pls. VIII, IXa). The
central circle contains a bull facing right, and
the other circle, which is badly damaged, depicts
the head of a horned animal with two feet facing
left (fig. III-2). Above its head only three Hebrew
letters have endured: םיר [פא]. Presumably this
is the name Ephraim, one of the twelve tribes,
whose symbol is a wild ox. The other bull probably
represents another tribe-Manasseh.
Sukenik (1951: 18) maintains that the circles
contain the symbols of the twelve tribes. This,
he asserts, is illustrated by a passage in Midrash
Rabba (BaMidbar 82) which says, regarding the
two surviving circles, ‘...On the flag of Ephraim
was embroidered a bull (or ox)... On the flag of
the tribe of Manasseh was embroidered a wild
ox’. However, a discrepancy exists here, as the
sign of Ephraim in the mosaic is the wild ox, and
the sign of Manasseh is the bull (Sukenik 1951:
20-23; but see Goodenough 1953, I: 217-218;
1964, VIII: 168, who suggests that this mosaic
portrays a zodiac). The Yaphi‘a circle design however
is a different scheme from the Jewish zodiac
(see also Naveh 1978: 70). This design is unique
and has not been found in any other symbolic
or iconographic portrayal in ancient Jewish art.
Moreover, its theme probably does not describe
a biblical story but originates in Rabbinical literature.
The Consecration of the Tabernacle, Its Vessels,
Aaron, and the Daily Offerings
The depictions on bands 3 and 4 of the nave
mosaic at Sepphoris are connected. They show
three of the Tabernacle vessels: the water basin,
the altar (on band 3), and the Shewbread Table
(on band 4, centre panel); remnants of Aaron
the priest, the sacrificial animals—a bull and two
lambs (rams), an oil jar, a flour basket, two trumpets
(on band 3), and a fruit basket (on band 4,
right panel). Some of the images are accompanied
by explanatory inscriptions in Hebrew (pl. IV.7;
fig. IV-19a).
Weiss and Netzer (1996: 20-22; Weiss 2005:
77-94) interpreted these two bands as ‘The Consecration
of Aaron to the Service of the Tabernacle
and the Daily Offering’ depicted on band 3 and
the left panel of band 4. They are an illustration
of Ex. 29. The two right panels of band 4 contain
the Shewbread Table and the baskets of First
Fruits (Weiss and Netzer 1996: 24; Weiss 2005:
94 -104). The Consecration of the Tabernacle and
its vessels, the daily offerings, and the dedication
of Aaron are described in Ex. 29: 39-40.
Band 3 at Sepphoris shows from right to left: a
partially destroyed water basin placed on a base