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(Piccirillo 1993: fig. 78): around the central medallion
with personification of the Sea. It indicates
the same contribution by the benefactors, and
perhaps by the mosaicist too, in the rendition of
this mosaic. These and other examples designate
the involvement of the patrons in the choice of
the subject matter.
On some synagogue floors dedicatory inscriptions
record ‘the holy community’ which donated
and contributed the mosaics. This clearly attests
to their involvement in the pavement work, and
perhaps also in the choice of the themes. Examples
are the inscriptions on synagogue pavements
of Beth "Alpha, Beth She"an small synagogue,
Huseifa, Jericho, Ma#on (Naveh 1978: nos. 39,
43, 46, 57, 69) and Gerasa (Roth-Gerson 1987:
no.10).
The floors of structures were decorated with
mosaics. Considering that a floor would be in full
view of the building’s owner or by the community,
the subject matter and its implications had to be
considered and respected. On the other hand,
the fact that the floor would be trodden on had
to be taken into account also. Accordingly, the
choice of themes and vignettes for the mosaic
of the synagogue and church pavements carried
great significance.
New subject matter and changes in figure
compositions are characteristics of early Byzantine
art. The subjects include all-over geometric,
floral, and vegetal designs, animal friezes, figure
scenes, including hunting, with some allusion to
the venationes of the amphitheatre, animal chase
and combat, genre vignettes such as rural activity,
topographical themes, personifications, and calendar
themes. These subjects and themes reflect
the interests of a class of cosmopolitan patrons
who commissioned the pavements (Dunbabin
1978: 223, 227-228; 1999: 299-300).
The decorations of synagogues and churches
differ in concept and treatment. The iconographic
programmes on the church mosaics greatly diverge
from those on synagogue pavements.
Not much of Christian doctrine is shown on
the mosaic pavements, and the recognition of the
themes on them was much less significant than
those on the synagogue pavements. Waliszewski
(2001: 264) comments, ‘it is clear…how little the
floor mosaics meant in comparison with the decoration
of the walls and ceilings’.
The main differences in themes of the 5th- and
6th-century mosaic pavements of synagogue and
church are the following. The synagogue used for
chapter thirteen
its decoration revered themes, a variety of images,
iconography, and symbolism. It took Jewish symbols—the
menorah, ritual objects, the Ark of the
scrolls, and the conch, which acquired greater
significance after the destruction of the Jerusalem
Temple in memory of the Temple and its rites.
The portrayals probably served as actual images
of the ceremonies conducted in the synagogue.
The zodiac as a yearly calendar, biblical scenes
as part of Jewish tradition and legend, animals,
birds, and a few episodes of animal chase also
appear, probably in the community’s clear knowledge
that they belonged to some general code;
the two literary Hebrew and Aramaic inscriptions
covering large spaces are rendered in the side
narthex (figs. XI-4,5). Possibly the presentation
of the written word on the pavement, in preference
to the figured designs, might have been the
decision of the local community.
Whereas church mosaics show assorted
vignettes of farming, hunting, personifications of
natural forces, and portraits of donors, only two
biblical episodes, of Jonah and Adam, appear
on church pavements. Moreover, on synagogue
pavements human figures appear only in biblical
scenes, with biblical citations consisting only
of single words or parts of sentences to explain
the scene; the zodiac design does portray the
sun god and figures for the signs (naked at Hammath
Tiberias) and the seasons, but farming and
hunting scenes, and portraits of benefactors, were
eschewed. Church pavements, by contrast, show
exactly the opposite, rendering rural life episodes
and portraits of benefactors; biblical scenes are
avoided. The difference apparently was connected
to the clear-cut divergence in perception
and attitude to treading on the pavements. The
emphasis in synagogal art on symbolic and iconographic
images might have been the result of a
need of the Jews to distinguish their places of
worship from those of the Christians (Hachlili
1988: 370, 403).
The Concept of Neutralization of Idolatry
Mosaic floor decorations include iconographic
and symbolic elements, a paradox that needs to
be emphasized; even biblical scenes with a representation
of the Hand of God, as in the Binding
of Isaac at Beth Alpha (pl. IV.1b), were considered
fit subjects for a floor that was constantly
trodden on: Torah shrines, menoroth and other
ritual objects were also deemed suitable for the