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a bear, a lion and a destroyed animal, possibly a
bull, and a leopard and an antelope.
A lion and a bull in confrontation appear on
several pavements: at the Beth ‘Alpha synagogue
pavement a lion and a bull flank the inscription
(fig. IX-1d); a similar episode of a bull and a lion
appears in an intercolumnar panel on the Martyr
church mosaic at Beth She"an (Mazor and Bar
Nathan 1998: 28-30). A similar confrontation
of a lion and bull is rendered on the south aisle
the Holy Martyrs church at Tayibat al-Imam in
Hamah (Zaqzuq and Piccirillo 1999: pl. VIII).
A lion confronts a bull on several mosaics in
Jordan. In the panel of the northern aisle of St.
George’s church these animals face each other
outside the inhabited vine scrolls medallion; the
lion is in a threatening pose (Saller and Bagatti
1949: 74-5, 105-6, pl. 29,3; Piccirillo 1993: 178,
fig. 246). On the lower mosaic of the Baptistry
chapel in the cathedral at Madaba three pairs of
animals facing each other among vine branches:
a lion and a bull, a pair of gazelles, and a pair of
rams (Piccirillo 1993: figs. 121, 122). An interesting
depiction of a pair of confronting sea monsters
represented as lion and bull is found on the surrounding
part of the Hippolytus Hall (Piccirillo
1993: 66, figs. 3,16).
In a diagonally designed pavement, namely
the Mosaic of the Paradise at Madaba and the
Deacon Thomas church at #Uyun Musa, a lion
and a bull face each other among other flanking
animals (Piccirillo 1993: figs. 139, 266) (see
below).
Some scholars maintain that these scenes might
be presented to evoke the notion of peace, friendship,
and the End of Days even without the appropriate
citations. Levi (1947, I: 317-319) contends
that the motifs of animals in heraldic posture are
an allegory and represent the Golden Age or a
hope to return to Paradise. Saller and Bagatti
(1949: 105-106) maintain that though the lion
and bull and other beasts and their animal prey in
confrontation are scenes copied from pagan patterns
meaning a struggle, the motif in the church
illustrates the Isaiah text of the Peaceful Kingdom
even if the inscription is absent.
Toynbee (1973: 287) suggests that the confronting
beasts, animals, birds, and fishes in square
panels in alternate rows on the mosaic in the nave
of the SS. Cosmas and Damian church at Gerasa
is a description of Paradise. Maguire (1987: 35)
argues that the picture of some of the animals
leaping runs counter to the account of Paradise
designs of symmetrical antithetic animals 205
in which animals are at peace with each other.
He prefers to interpret the composition as a rendition
of the living things of Creation shown in
their habitat in the air, on land, and at sea.
Yet these animal episodes could be based on
observations of nature where beasts naturally
attack and fight with other animals; or these
heraldic or flanking animals were copied from
a catalogue or pattern book, and were made on
mosaics without any symbolic meaning.
C. Pairs of Animals Facing Each Other in a
Diagonal Composition
The diagonal composition was one of the arrangements
meant to organize the floor as a whole
unit achieving several viewpoints; it was perhaps
derived from Roman groin vaults; it might have
belonged to a class of pavement types imitating
ceiling compositions (Lavin 1963: 219-222,
figs. 55-58). This form of composition probably
originated in North Africa, in the latter part of
the 2nd century, with the diagonal vine-scroll type
at the villa of the Laberii at Oudna. It grew in
popularity during the 3rd century, being found
on some pavements from Kourba near Carthage,
El-Djem, Hippo, Banasa, and Thuburbo Majus.
Trees as a dividing device are common on North
Africa mosaic pavements (Lavin 1963: 190, 222,
note 191).
A noteworthy example of the diagonal composition
appears on mosaics at Antioch: on the
Megalopsychia mosaic in the Yakto complex
(mid-5th century) (fig. VII.7). The field is divided
by diagonal trees springing from the corners into
separate scenes of hunters attacking wild beasts in
the outside square; beasts assault animals in the
inner square. In the Worcester Hunt a similar
diagonal composition is depicted (Levi 1947, I:
324, 363-4; fig. 136, 151; Lavin 1963: 187, 190,
figs. 2, 6).
This scheme becomes a characteristic feature
of pavement decoration during the 6th century
in the eastern Mediterranean. Among the trees,
flanking animals, usually identical, are portrayed,
sometimes in different postures. In some examples
a different pair is rendered.
Several renditions of this distinctive design
of pairs of animals facing each other between
four diagonal fruit trees meeting in the centre is
found in a secular building at Caesarea and in a
number of mosaic floors in churches in Jordan.