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a picture placed in the centre of a frame with
specific details related to Sol Invictus. The sun
god of Beth "Alpha, however, is integrated totally
and is harmonious with the rest of the design. The
Sepphoris inner circle is unique in the rendition
of the sun instead of the sun god.
The Outer Circle: the Signs of the Zodiac
The outer circle is apportioned into twelve radial
units, one for every zodiac sign, each of which
matches precisely one of the twelve months of the
Jewish year. Each sign is followed by its name in
Hebrew; at Sepphoris alone the Hebrew name
of the month is added.
Aries is the first sign, being the first month
of spring. The signs (representing months) correspond
to the seasons at Hammath Tiberias and
Sepphoris but not at Beth "Alpha and Na#aran.
The zodiac signs show a wide range of styles
from synagogue to synagogue. In all the zodiacs
the animals are drawn in profile, facing forwards
(figs. III-3,4; Table III-1). At Hammath Tiberias,
Huseifa and Sepphoris the zodiac figures are
directed inwards, their heads towards the central
circle. At Beth "Alpha and Na#aran the signs
are directed outwards, with their feet towards
the central circle. In every synagogue zodiac, all
the human figures for the signs and seasons have
the same features of face and body and similar
hairstyles. The figures of the upper half face the
viewer, but in the lower half they are sometimes
inverted. All the human and animal figures of
the Hammath Tiberias floor are in motion; the
male figures are similar in their features and are
naked; at Beth "Alpha, Sepphoris, and Na#aran,
on the other hand, they are clothed and standing.
At Huseifa, the remains of the figure of Sagittarius
show that he too was apparently naked
(Avi-Yonah 1934: 125).
At Sepphoris the zodiac signs (of which only
four are well preserved) are each accompanied
by a star at the top and by figures of draped,
or almost naked, young men, all barefoot except
one; all have the same facial features and hairstyle.
Some of these are part of the sign and show
an active posture: for instance, the sign of Libra
shows the youth carrying a pair of scales; in that
of Pisces the youth holds two fish on a hook. The
other youths are depicted simply standing next
to the sign, such as Cancer and Scorpio, or in
chapter three
front of the animal signs of Taurus, Aries, and
Leo (pls. III.7-10). 3 At Huseifa only fragments of
five signs were found and no inscriptions, and at
Na#aran little survived as most of the signs had
been damaged by iconoclasts.
Aries (lamb, Tale) (pl III.7a; fig. III-6). At Hammath
Tiberias and Sepphoris the lamb is shown in
profile running while at Sepphoris the sign shows
the lamb and the remains of a youth standing in
front of the animal. At Beth "Alpha and Na#aran
the ram is standing. The last letter of the sign’s
Hebrew name at Beth "Alpha is aleph instead of
he. Two hind legs of the lamb have remained at
Huseifa.
Taurus (Bull, Shor) (pl. III.7b; fig. III-6). At Hammath
Tiberias the bull in profile is rendered running
left; at Sepphoris only the forelegs of the
destroyed running bull survived, and the remains
of a youth holding a staff appears standing in
front. At Beth "Alpha the bull is shown in profile
standing.
Gemini (Twins, Te’omim) (pl. III.7c; fig. III-6). At
Hammath Tiberias only one naked youth remains
intact, whereas at Sepphoris, the remains of two
naked youths are shown, one on the right holding
a lyre and the other on the left holding a club; this
is quite similar to the posture of the two embracing
youths depicted at Beth "Alpha. At Huseifa
and Na#aran the sign is destroyed.
Cancer (Crab, Sartan) (pl. III.8a; fig. III-7). At
Hammath Tiberias only the end of the crab’s
claws have survived, whereas at Sepphoris the
crab turns to the right, accompanied by a youth
dressed in a tunic and black shoes. At Beth "Alpha
3 An interesting comparison can be seen in 2nd-3rdcentury
mosaic floor at Hellin (Spain, Albacete province).
The mosaic composition consists of geometric patterns of
octagons, circles and ellipses (Stern 1981: 442, Table 1,
Pls. X, XI, 26-27; Gundel 1992: No. 212). Each of twelve
octagons contains a winged allegorical personification of the
month holding or resembling a zodiac sign, accompanied
by the appropriate figure of the god and the name of the
month. Some of the months in the octagons have been
destroyed; the remaining ones are April, represented by
Venus assisting Taurus; May, with Mercury holding the
Gemini twins; September, with a figure holding scales and
being assisted by Vulcan; October, with a figure holding
a scorpion accompanied by Mars; November, with Sagittarius
and Isis.