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similar in the general depiction of the personified
Labours of the Months. These are typically illustrated
as full-length figures in some agricultural
activity, each representing the inscribed month.
The months in the funerary chamber are
arranged on a panel in two rows: the first six
months on the left and the last six months on
the right (pl. VIII.3). Avi-Yonah (1936: 22-26)
proposes that the space between the two groups
was probably filled either by the figures of Sun
and Moon or by an inscription. The months are
represented as standing figures in frontal pose
and an identifying activity, accompanied by their
Latin names and the number of days inscribed in
Greek. Only nine months survived.
In the Lady Mary monastery, the mosaic consists
of two concentric circles (pl. VIII.4). The
outer circle is divided into twelve radial units, and
each shows a figure in full activity accompanied
by the Latin name of the particular month and
the number of days written in Greek letters. In the
inner circle Sun and Moon are personified.
Three church mosaics in Gerasa in Jordan
have remains of personifications of the Labours
of the months, most of them destroyed. All have
Macedonian names inscribed in Greek letters. In
the Elias, Maria, and Soreg chapel the months
are depicted in twelve square panels in the first
three eastern rows of the nave (Saller and Bagatti
1949: 275-278, fig. 17, pls. 46, 47, 50: 3-4,51: 4;
Piccirillo 1993: 39, 296 fig. 571). The full-length
images of seven months and their Macedonian
names written in Greek are preserved. At St. John
the Baptist church the personifications of the
months, almost completely destroyed, originally
filled the rectangular border panels (Biebel 1938:
324-3). On the mosaic in the Gerasa cathedral
chapel the destroyed images of the months appear
in two rectangles, each with six small squares
containing the inscribed personifications of the
months (Biebel 1938: 313, 475; Piccirillo 1993:
284, figs. 528, 531). Interestingly, the Latin names
of the months in Greek letters appear on the Beth
She"an pavements, while Macedonian names of
the months in Greek letters are inscribed on the
Gerasa pavements.
These examples are all quite different, which
indicates that they are not copied from a common
origin or from each other, though some have similar
attributes (Bagatti 1949: 284-5). The personifications
of the months draw directly from classical
models and the Graeco-Roman repertoire.
between synagogue and church 231
The Seasons
The season personifications on each of the synagogue
mosaics appear in the four corners of the
square in the zodiac scheme. In each mosaic they
are almost identical, with differences expressed
only in garments, jewellery, and attributes. Their
similarity lies in their having the same facial features,
so the likeness is frequently more noticeable
than the difference (pl. III.2-4).
Personifications of the seasons on pagan and
Christian pavements are depicted in dissimilar
compositions (figs. III.3-7). The pagan pavements
of El Maqerqesh, Caesarea, the Hall of the Seasons
at Madaba, and Hippolytus Hall at Madaba,
as well as the mosaics of Petra church, St George’s
church at Mukkayyat, Bishop Sergius church at
Umm al-Rasas, and Priest Wa"il church at Umm
al-Rasas, are depicted in medallions. These are
grouped in various patterns: in the centre of the
mosaic field, in the corners of the mosaic field, in
panels in the border, in acanthus or vine scrolls in
the four corners of the nave field border, and once
in an intercolumnar space. A significant difference
is noted between the renditions of the seasons in
the synagogues, where they are part of the zodiac,
and those on the church pavements, where they
appear independently. Hanfmann [1951, I: 261]
interprets the depiction of the seasons as symbols
of happiness and prosperity.
The Calendar
The difference between the Jewish and Christian
calendar representations is quite striking in design
and concept. The Jewish calendars comprise an
identical scheme consisting of three sections: the
four seasons represent the year, the months are
represented by the zodiac signs, and the sun god
with its background of a half moon and stars represents
day and night. Together they represent an
annual liturgical calendar. Their basically similar
form suggests the existence of a prototype in a
pattern book (Hachlili 1988: 394-395). The Christian
depiction usually consists of designs of the
Labours of the Months or of the seasons by themselves.
The Jews seem to have preferred the combined
symbolism of the seasons, the zodiac signs,
and the sun god in one single composition, while
the church pavements show that Christians chose
the human labour of each month and the seasons
in separate designs, though both followed the