Untitled

266
at Gaza and Jabaliyah, such as the dark outline
of the body and bright patches depicting muscles
and parts of the body is another shared feature
(pls. XII.6). The depiction and style of animals
are alike: the lioness and cub at Jabaliyah are
rendered in similar fashion to the lioness and cub
at Gaza, especially the head and its details; the
pursuing posture and the position of the tail of
the Jabaliyah lioness is similar to the pose and tail
of the tigress at Gaza (pl. XII.6d,e). The bending
pose of the lioness on the David mosaic at Gaza
is similar to the pose of the (damaged) bending
sheep in the centre of the Diakonikon chapel’s
eastern panel (pl. XII.6b,c). Note especially the
treatment of the inward-turning hind feet of the
lioness at Gaza and of the lion chasing the deer
at Jabaliyah. A line of dentils in the David’s attire
is similar to the line in the rock on the eastern
panel at Jabaliyah (pl. IV.3, VII.10b).
The Gaza amphora hanging from a fruit tree
on both pavements (Humbert 1999: 216; Humbert
et al 2000: 124) has an elongated body with
two small handles and is used as a wine vessel,
probably produced in the Gaza and Ashkelon
area (Mayerson 1992; Israel 1995: 125-130; Waliszewski
2001: 225-6, fig. 5). Several Gaza vessels
are depicted in a similar fashion on other mosaic
pavements (pl. XII.6f-h). A hanging amphora
used as a dovecote is similar to the Petra vessel
which appears in the central medallion in row
5 of the vine rinceau at St. Stephen’s church at
Be"er Shem#a. An elderly bearded man is holding
a Gaza amphora in both hands in row C4 in the
north aisle of the Petra church (pl. XII.6h; Waliszewski
2001: 225-6). Possibly similar amphorae
are depicted being carried on camels or on boats
on several mosaic pavements. An amphora being
transported on land on the back of a camel is portrayed
at Kissufim church (pl. VII.18a). Transported
on water, several (two to three) amphorae
are depicted in a boat on the Haditha pavement
and on a boat in the mythological scene at the
House of Leontis in Beth She"an (pl. V.7a,b).
These pavements show some sense of humour,
as well as knowledge of nature, displayed in the
renditions of the rabbit at the palm tree trunk
on the western field at Jabaliyah and the lioness
feeding her cub in the Gaza inhabited medallion
(pls. VII.10, XII.6a).
This comparative examination illustrates the
similarity between the pavements, although there
is a gap in their dating. The Jabaliyah mosaic is
dated to 451 while the Gaza synagogue mosaic is
chapter twelve
dated to 508/9. However, the pavements might be
the work of a small family workshop, a traditional
product of generations of artists who worked in
the Gaza region for at least 60 years, and who
possibly made the mosaic at Be"er Shev#a too.
The Ma‘on and Be’er Shem‘a Workshop
The pavement at the Ma#on-Nirim nave synagogue
is one of the examples rendering the inhabited
vine scrolls design (pl. VI.2; fig. VI-5).
Although the same design appears on a number of
synagogue and church mosaic floors, each is created
by different craftsmen. However, the Ma#on
pavement has quite a number of affinities with
the Be"er-Shem#a nave mosaic.
Generally, the designs of the inhabited vine
scrolls on the Ma#on synagogue mosaic are closely
symmetrical; differences are noticed between the
few identical flanking animals that survived; there
is a disparity in the hares’ size and pose, a difference
in the elephants’ trunks and their caparison
(fig. XII-13); but the palm trees and doves are
identical.
The artist illustrated the animals in natural
poses, following the Hellenistic prototypes more
closely; he is also notable for a certain bucolic
humour observed in scenes such as the hen that
has just laid an egg (pl. VI.19a). The mosaicist
depicted in realistic detail the symbolic illustration
of the seven-branched menorah and some of the
items in the central axial column.
A distinctive technical idiosyncrasy which characterize
the Ma#on artist is the muscular bulge
on the shoulder of almost all the animals and
beasts; another trait peculiar to the Ma#on artist
is the eyes of all animals and birds, created as a
round circle with a dot in the centre (pl. XII.8
left column). Another stylistic indication is the
manner in which the vine scrolls, leaves, and
grapes are represented. The vine leaves are naturalistic
and leafier. The grapes are usually the
same colour, their form oval with a few irregularly
shaped (pl. XII.5c,d).
Avi-Yonah (1960: 34) contends that the artist
of the Ma#on mosaic was either a gentile, judging
from his ignorance of the Hebrew script and
the same design scheme used also in churches;
or, judging from the faithful depiction of the
Jewish symbols, a Greek-speaking Jew, possibly
from the Diaspora, who was employed by a
rustic community which concurred in the choice
of designs used also in churches, albeit with the