Untitled

248
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Julian after several male and female donors.
Saller and Bagatti (1949: 169, 177, inscription
no. 8) considered this to indicate Julian
as the maker of the mosaic.
A small part of an inscription in a rect-
angular panel in front of the apse at the
church of St. Kyriakos at al-Quwaysmah
(6th century) mentions the work by [… Σ]
ιλανού ψη(φοθέτου) ‘Silanus the mosacist’
(Donderer 1989: 77-78, A36; Piccirillo
1993: 268, fig. 493).
A small inscription in a panel in the south-
west corner of the inhabited vine scroll field
in Anastasius chapel at Khirbat al-Samra
states: Άναστασίου ∆ομεντιανο ΰ ψεφωθέ
του ‘[Work] of Anastasius [son] of Domintianus,
the mosaicist’ (Donderer 1989: 54,
A3; Piccirillo 1993: 308, Fig.609, 612).
Several inscriptions note the work of three artists
or more:
• A two-line inscription located near the
entrance to the chapel in the Diakonikon-
Baptistry of the Memorial of Moses at
Siyagha on Mt. Nebo commemorates three
mosaicists. A prayer is added: …Κ(ύρι)ε,
μνήσθητι Σοέλου κ(αί) Καιουμοΰ κ(αί)
Ήλίου ψηφοΰητων κ(αί) παντός τοΰ οίκου
αύτών ‘Lord Jesus Christ, remember the
clerics and the monks and [all the] others
who [rest] here [in peace]. God remember
the mosaicists Soelos, Kaioumas and Elias
and all their household’ (Piccirillo 1988:
155-157; 1993: 146, fig. 183; Donderer
1989: 78, A37; Dunbabin 1999: 273).
• An inscription in a circular medallion near
the chancel screen in St. George’s church at
Mukkayyat records three mosaicists: Έργον
ψηφωτήτων Ναουμα κ(αί) Κυριακός κ(αί)
Θωμάς… ‘Work of the mosaicists Nauma
and Kyriakos and Thomas, for the repose
of Sabinus, the brother of Martyrius’ (Saller
and Bagatti 1949: 168, no. 5, pl. 32; Donderer
1989: 70, A27; Piccirillo 1993: 178,
fig. 248). Saller and Bagatti maintain that
these named mosaicists were the makers as
well as the designers of the mosaic pavement.
• Two inscriptions in St. Stephen’s church
at Umm al-Rasas commemorate the mosaicists,
with an added prayer:
a. An inscription found around the al tar
in the presbyterium sanctuary refers
chapter twelve
to Μνήσθιτη κέ τοΰ δούλου σου
Στυρακήου τοΰ ψιφωθέτοΰ Έξβοντίνου
[υ]ίοΰ τοΰ Ζαδας Εύρεμήου
έτέρου αύτοΰ ‘the two mosaicists (and
others) Staurkaios of Esbous, son of
Za da, and Euremius his colleague’
(Pic cirillo 1989: 285-6; 1993: 238,
fig. 346; Donderer 1989: 79, A38;
Dun babin 1999: 273).
b. An inscription in the mosaic of the nave
dated to 785 mentions anonymous
mosacists: ‘Lord, remember thy servents
the mosacists whose names thou
knowest’ (Piccirillo 1989: 289; 1993:
238, fig. 384). This is comparable to
the Aramaic inscription in Beth She"an
small synagogue that mentions the
work of anonymous artists (fig. XII-2a,
see above). Dunbabin (1999: 273) suggests
that in this formula, as in those
on donors’ inscriptions, sometimes ‘the
names could be suppressed in aspiration
for a heavenly reward’.
Few mosaicists were signing their names on
mosaic pavements, the earliest inscription identifing
a mosaicist appears on the mosaic pavement
of the ‘Evron church in 415, and the practice
continued until the 8th century. Most of the inscriptions
found on synagoge pavements mention
craftsmen with Jewish names, which implies that
Jewish artists were employed in building synagogues
and laying mosaic pavements, while Christian
artists usually laid mosaic floors in churches.
Yet a number of synagogue and church mosaics
might have been paved by the same artists, team
of mosaicists, or workshop (see below). The craft
was apparently an inherited skill, traditionally a
family occupation, as attested to by the inscriptions.
Two generations of a family, Marianos and
his son, together made the mosaic pavement of
Beth ‘Alpha (inscription no. 1) which is unique
in style and execution; and also the pavement in
one room of Beth Shean synagogue A (room 7,
inscription no. 2); possibly the same three-generation
family is recorded at Kefar Kana and
Sepphoris mosaic inscriptions.
Dunbabin (1999: 275) maintains that the
mosaicists’ names noted in church inscriptions
are similar to names of bishops, priests, and benefactors
cited on other inscriptions in the region;
they are a mixture of traditional Aramaic, Greek,
and especially Christian names, which suggests a