Art and Archaeology in Israel and Neighbouring Countries: Antiquity and Late Antiquity

Asher Ovadiah is Professor of Art History at Tel Aviv University, and an authority on the Classical and Byzantine monuments of Israel. This selection of articles, published over the last twenty-five years, falls into four groups and is gathered around a number of common themes. A first group is concerned with the architecture of pagan temples, early churches, synagogues and a Roman theatre. A second deals with sculpture and reliefs, with the emphasis on iconography, style and symbolism, while a third group is concerned with mosaics in secular and religious contexts, with reference to the Classical heritage and anti-Classical trends, philosophical concepts and links with artistic centres. Finally, a fourth group treats the symbolic and allegorical significance of various works of art and Greek laudatory inscriptions.

Table of Contents:
Introduction Architecture: Some Observations on the Doric Temples of the 5th Century BCE The Roman Temple at Kadesh, Upper Galilee: A Preliminary Study Some Notes on the Roman Theatre of Beth-Shean (Scythopolis) Observations on the Origin of the Architectural Plan of Ancient Synagogues Ancient Synagogues in Asia Minor Churches of the Age of Justinian in Israel Two Notes on the Early Byzantine Complex of Kursi Une église Byzantine à Matta Tel 'Ira: The Monastic Complex and its Mosaics A Restored Complex of the 12th Century in Jerusalem Sculpture and Reliefs: Personifications in Hellenistic Sculpture A Head of Ares in the B. Sofer Collection Dionysos in Beth Shean Une pyxide en albâtre du Musée d'Art et d'Histoire (Genève) Funeral Stele of a Seaman of the Roman Period Miscellaneous Ornamental Architectural Elements in Roman Caesarea The Relief of the Spies from Carthage The Early Byzantine Reliefs of the Church of Deir el-'Adhra in Middle Egypt The Zeus from Gaza Re-examined Mosaic Art: The Origin and Development of Mosaics to the Time of Augustus Mosaic Pavements of the Herodian Period in Israel Two Mosaic Fragments with Marine Subjects The Female Figure in the Dionysiac Mosaic at Sepphoris Classical Heritage and Anti-Classical Trends in the Mosaic Pavement of Lydda (Lod) The Mosaic Pavements of Sheikh Zouède in Northern Sinai Orpheus from Jerusalem - Pagan or Christian Image The Mosaic Workshop of Gaza in Christian Antiquity The Mosaic Pavement of Kissufim, Israel Observations on the Mosaic Art in Ancient Synagogues Mosaic Pavements Discovered in the Last Decade in Israel (1970-1980) Orpheus Mosaics in the Roman and Early Byzantine Periods Symbolism and Allegory: Symbolism in Jewish and Christian Works of Art in Late Antiquity The Meroth Mosaic Reconsidered Allegorical Images in Greek Laudatory Inscriptions in Eretz-Israel Additional Notes Index

About the Author :
Asher Ovadiah is Professor of Art History at Tel Aviv University, and an authority on the Classical and Byzantine monuments of Israel.