Mosaics and Inscriptions from Magen

Abstract

T he mosaic pavements in Buildings A, C, and D of the early Christian church complex at Magen were well preserved, except for some sections of the floors in Building D and in Rooms 1 and 3 in Building C. These were badly damaged by later construction. The method of laying the mosaics differed for each of the buildings. The mosaics in Building A were set on a layer of compact and heavy foundation composed of small stones mixed with plaster; immediately above was a thinner bedding of whitish plaster, into which the tesserae were set. The foundation in Building C was of a thin layer of plaster laid directly on a bed of earth. A similar method was employed in Building D, but here it had a thicker layer of plaster foundation mixed with a great number of sherds. All the tesserae were of hard limestone, undoubtedly brought from elsewhere, and featured a rich palette of natural colors, including white, red, yellow, blue, and brown. The sizes of the cubes differed slightly in each of the pavements and sometimes there were even differences in pavements in a single room. The average size varied from 1 cm to 1.5 cm, and was never less than 1 cm. The mosaics at Magen exhibit a good technical standard of workmanship, and at times even reflect superior quality.