Untitled

42
and Na#aran the crab is shown frontally as if walking
forward, a posture that some scholars consider
important (Sonne 1953-4: 10). At Huseifa the sign
is destroyed.
Leo (Lion, ’Arye) (pl. III.8b; fig. III-7). Leo is leaping
forward at Hammath Tiberias, similiarly to
his representation in Calendar 354 (Stern 1953:
pl. 7.2; Hachlili 1977: fig. 14) and at Tivoli
(Lehman 1945: fig. 10); at Beth "Alpha he is
walking and at Na#aran sitting. In all these examples
the lion’s tail is turned up; only at Sepphoris,
from the little that has survived, does
the tail appear to be down. A youth stands
next to it. At Huseifa and Na#aran the sign is
destroyed.
Virgo (Virgin, Bethulah) (pl. III.8c; fig III-7). In the
Hammath Tiberias mosaic Virgo is shown robed
in a Greek kore with a covered head and holding
a torch. At Sepphoris only two ears of wheat
and part of a star have survived. In Beth "Alpha
the figure of Virgo is unique, shown wearing red
shoes and seated on a throne indicating royal
rank (Sukenik 1932: 37). At Na#aran Virgo stands
holding a plant. At Huseifa and Na#aran the sign
is destroyed.
Libra (Scales, Moznayim) (pl. III.9a; fig,III-8). In
all the synagogue mosaics, the sign of Libra is
shown as a human figure holding a pair of scales.
At Hammath Tiberias the naked figure is represented
with the addition of a sceptre (pl. ), while
at Sepphoris the youth wears a cloak. In the
Beth "Alpha mosaic Libra holds the scales very
awkwardly, standing on one leg; the artist omitted
the second leg to allow enough room for the
scales. From the remains of Libra at Na#aran the
figure seems to be standing holding the scales in
his right hand. At Hammath Tiberias, Sepphoris,
and Na#aran the Hebrew name of the sign,
םינזומ Moznayim, is inscribed with a vav instead of
an aleph—םינזאמ as at Beth "Alpha. At Huseifa
and Na#aran the sign is destroyed.
In examples of Roman art, as in the Palmyra
stone ceiling, Libra stands between the claws of the
Scorpion (fig. III-11). The representation of Libra
as a figure holding scales is also found in Manuscript
gr. 1291 (pl. III.12b) in Calendar 354 (Stern
1953: pls. 7: 37: 5; Hachlili 1977: fig. 14) and on
a 3rd-century coin (Sternberg 1972: pl. 4: 2a). In
early Roman art, however, Libra is depicted only
chapter three
as the scales, without a human figure: at Dendera
(Lehman 1945: fig. 7), at Tivoli, on the Bir-Chana
mosaic floor (fig. III-13; Lehman 1945: figs. 7,
10), and on a Roman tombstone (Cumont 1919:
fig. 7598). This representation continues into the
Middle Ages in manuscripts (Webster 1938: pls.
12: 26 and 13: 27).
Scorpio (Scorpion, ‘Aqrab) (pl. III.9b; fig. III-8).
At Hammath Tiberias and Sepphoris Scorpio
is moving forwards to the right, with the addition
of a cloak-wrapped youth walking behind.
At Beth "Alpha, the Scorpion is moving to the
left, its tail almost touching its body, as in Calendar
354 (Stern 1953: pl. 7.2; Hachlili 1977:
fig. 14). The Na#aran scorpion is depicted frontally,
standing on its tail. At Huseifa the sign is
destroyed.
Sagittarius (Archer, Qashat) (pl. III.9; fig. III-8).
Pagan representations of Sagittarius usually show
a centaur, a half human-half animal figure, shooting
with an arrow from a bow. Such is his depiction
at Sepphoris, as a leaping centaur archer.
At Huseifa, the surviving figure of the archer is
portrayed naked, ‘turning right and shooting with
his right arm raised’ (Avi-Yonah 1934: 125). A
similar depiction of a naked archer appears on
the zodiac of the 2nd-century altar from Gabii
(Gundel 1992: No.27, Figs.33, 49). At Beth "Alpha
the archer is shown in human form, holding a bow
and arrow in his left hand. The Jewish communities
at the two sites of Beth "Alpha and Huseifa
might have been reluctant to depict Sagittarius
in its pagan form of a centaur, and preferred a
human archer, which would have been adequate
to symbolize the Hebrew name of Sagittarius תשק
Qashat, archer; or the artist might have made the
sign as a human archer because he took the meaning
of qashat literally.
The portrayal of Sagittarius as a centaur,
shooting with a bow and arrow, can be traced
to the Babylonian representation. This depiction
is found at Dendera (Hachlili 1977: fig. 15)
and in Roman reliefs. These are mostly of the
2nd and 3rd centuries, at Aion (Goldman 1966:
22b), Atlas supported by Jupiter (Glueck 1965:
pl. 40: a), and also in a tombstone relief (Cumont
1919: fig. 7598). There are also Mithra reliefs
with zodiac belts portraying the archer as a centaur,
as in the relief at Dura Europos (Goldman
1966: pl. 20a). The archer-as-a-centaur motif is