Univ.-Prof. Dr. Basema Hamarneh (Institut für Klassische Archäologie, Wien)

H A U S K O L L O Q U I U M

Dienstag, 14. November 2017 um 18 Uhr c.t.

Institut für Klassische Archäologie
1190 Wien, Franz-Klein-Gasse 1, 1. Stock, Seminarraum 12

The iconographic layout of the Mosaic floors of the Byzantine era, discovered in the territory of modern Jordan, has always attracted interest in the academic world, due to the punctual chronological references in the mosaic inscriptions of local churches, and for optimal conservation of the monuments. The past discoveries have reinforced the idea that there was a standard iconographic repertoire, in which genre scenes, seasonal allegories, and geometric motifs prevailed, occasionally associated with symbolic images in the area of the presbyterium. Mosaic floors seemed to exclude in almost systematic and intentional manner the representation of scenes of the Sacred Scriptures which could have instead adorned the walls as has been often suggested. However, in few cases Old and New Testament were actually employed in floor decoration, thus the discussion intends to illustrate how and in which context the Bible served as direct inspiration as a reflection of the importance and the significance of the Sacred scriptures for Byzantine Christianity, its transmission and its cultural impact for the local society at large.