The Christian mosaics of Byzantine Palestine : towards an interpretation

Abstract

The problems inherent in attempts to interpret the imagery of the mosaic pavements of Christian buildings of the fifth and sixth centuries, have been compounded by the varying opinions of scholars. These range from a belief that the mosaics are merely decorative adjuncts to the building and have no particular meaning; to the idea that some motifs on a pavement may be symbolic but most are not, or that some mosaics in some churches are without symbolic value, while others have more than one meaning; or that the mosaic pavements, viewed in the context of their place and time, can be read in several levels of meaning, consonant with early Christian traditions of Scriptural exegesis and hermeneutics. This thesis begins with a review of the previous literature, in an attempt to understand the philosophical, religious and cultural grounds which contribute to these different opinions. Some of the problems engendered by the application of modern methodology to understand an ancient culture are discussed. The attitudes of the early Church to exegesis and to art, are examined through a wide range of patristic texts and primary sources. Proceeding from the fact that, in the fifth and sixth century, the church was viewed as a microcosm, with the floor representing the earth as it was created by God, early Christian ideas of the Creation and cosmology, are examined. The widespread effects of contemporary Neoplatonic thought on hermeneutics, the intention of the artist as opposed to the interpretation of the viewer, and the anagogical function of sensible matter are all taken into account. The thesis proceeds to a review of the imagery on the Christian pavements thence to an attempt to interpret a number of the compositional types and motifs appearing on them, to determine whether they can, in fact, be read in different levels of meaning. It concludes with a discussion of the mosaicists, their workshops and their patrons and the social and economic background against which the mosaics were made. The conclusion is that it is possible to interpret the mosaic pavements of Palestine at a number of different levels, in accordance with the traditional exegetic method of the Christian Church. This was probably intended by the artist or patron: it would have been encouraged by the Church. The pavements seem to have functioned, as did the other decoration of the church building, as a contemplative medium through which the Christian could gain a closer understanding of God.