There were eighteen limestone columns in the church, nine in each row. Intercolumnia are approximately 2.3 m. All of them were composed from lathe-made drums of different height. Two stylobata were built of well-carved ashlars. They consist of two rows of stones 0.7 m wide. Strangely, the stylobata were never used and the colonnades were placed at the mosaic floor of the nave. There were columned porticoes in the atrium also, presumably, four columns on each side. Only part of the eastern and small sections of the northern and southern stylobata remained. In the cistern in the center of the atrium toppled column drums were found. Traces of claw chiselling are visible at all the drums. Besides, northern and southern walls are decorated with pilasters, 0.55 m wide and projecting 0.15 m. The distances between pilasters fluctuate between 1.9 and 2.2 m. They are carved from the wall masonry, from the same roughly dressed stones.
In the main colonnades of the basilica the columns are leaning at the massive, square plinths (according to the restoration). The columns in the altar space leaned at the plain bases, comprised from one, two or more unsystematical mouldings ("tori"), with concave "scotia" and narrow strips, carved by lathe. The identical bases were found toppled in the cistern in the atrium limestone (D. (restored) 0.48 m., h. 0.28; D. 0.46 m., h. 0.50 m) and also one base is now placed near the main entrance into the nave. Two more column bases, carved from limestone, were found in debris in the church (D. 0.44 m., h. 0.34 m) and near it (D. 0.52 m., h. 0.31 m). In general terms, they are Attic, though irregular in the terms of order rules. The column base of the north-eastern corner in the atrium was found in situ.
In the cistern in the center of the atrium toppled column capitals were found. They were carved from soft white limestone. Three of them were more elaborated than the one, rather simple. The order of well-elaborated capitals is somewhat close to the Pseudo-Corinthian: calathi were adorned with two rudimental volutes, joining at the center of each side of echinus. The lower parts were left in the blocked-out state, with only preliminary carving for further acanthus leaves, that never were completed. The spirals of volutes in several cases are adorned with rosettes, or crosses, or floral motifs (sun-flower). The order of less elaborated capital is somewhat Pseudo-Doric: it comprises several horizontal lathe-made mouldings, rounded or plain. The average diameter and height of all of Pseudo-Corinthian capitals is of the same scale, though not quite identical (D. 0.57 m, H. 0.63 m; D. (restored) 0.6 m., h. 0.62, D. 0.5 m., h. 0.62 m). The size of Pseudo-Doric is smaller (D. 0.43 m., h. 0.35 m).
Simple cornice, carved from limestone and with the cyma reversa section was found in the debris (W. 0.49 m., h. 0.13 m., th. 0.27).
Several door pilasters caps were found. All were carved from limestone ashlars and decorated with various compositions from crosses and rosettes, with small ancillary motifs. One such stone was found in situ, crowning a pilaster on the southern wall and decorated with the rosette. The other, also found in the debris (south of the church), was decorated with plain mouldings, with the truncated lateral sides. Attributed as a corner pilaster capital (W. 0.485 m., h. 0.26 m., th. 0.25 m.). There are six others door post caps and caps of the wall pilasters, of two main scales. Small scale caps have the average width of ca. 0.30 cm, large scale caps width fluctuating from of 0.52 to 0.68 m. The height is fluctuating from 0.20 to 0.40 m. Among them three are specially outstanding for their unique decoration with several rows of plain or angular mouldings and with the dog-tooth pattern. Door-post capital, carved from limestone, was found in the debris near the church (no measurements taken). It had a cyma recta section.
lintels, jambs, thresholds
Door jambs and lintels were carved from limestone ashlars. Two of the lintels, partially preserved, were found in the debris, in the Bell-tower (Building IX). The first lintel (W. 0.69 m., h. 0.34 m., th. 0.18 m.) was decorated with the raised cross between two circles and topped by the plain slanting cornice (comprised from two bands). The cornice is truncated from both lateral sides, what force to consider it rather a pilaster cap than a lintel, but here we preserve the attribution, accepted in the publication of Negev. The second lintel (W. 0.775 m., h. 0.3 m., th. 0.18 m.) was decorated with the solar disc (or half of spiked wheel) flanked by two crosses on raised discs. More one lintel broken into two halves was found in the debris. No measurements taken. It had a shape of a blind gable decorated with two small palm branches-acroteria and two crosses inscribed into the circles above. The additional lintel, probably, secondary used after, was decorated with a cross (found in the debris).
Almost nothing has remained from chancel screen posts. Most of the marble details were smashed during the Early-Islamic period and burnt into lime in the room Locus 343 of Building IV. Sockets for the chancel posts were discovered at the edges of bema. Three members of low posts, carved from greyish marble, were found in the debris. All their sides are decorated with the rectangular frames, one inside the other, with the more delicate motifs at the frontal sides, such as rows of pointed laurel leaves, tied by three in each row (resembles the herringbone pattern) and a fir cone. Both of them were topped with the colonnettes of the second tier. Small remains of their Attic bases are left. In the baptistery, on floor of basilica a fragment of the marble chancel post was found (W. 0.24 m., h. 0.23 m., th. 0.22 m.). Two small members of chancel posts, carved from greyish marble, were found in the chapel (D. 0.15 m.). They were decorated with lotus leaves, pearls and fluting. Probably, these have belonged to the chapel's chancel screen. The frontal part of the main chancel screen was decorated with the marble posts, while at the lateral sides usual columns of the basilica played the role of the posts. The entrance into the altar of the southern chapel was also flanked by two posts-columns (0.3 m in diameter).
Grooves in the bema contain small chunks of marble or the mortar in which the screen was embedded show the position of the panels. Grooves with partially preserved marble fragments, doubtlessly, fragments of the chancel panels, are traceable at the plinths and bases in the bema.
The altar table of the main chancel area rested on four legs with rectangular limestone sockets. The sockets were set in hard greyish mortar. In northern and southern martyriums upon three reliquaries altar tables were placed, leaning at the four legs in each case. The small base of colonnette, carved from grey marble (D. 0.2 m., base 0.24 x 0.24 m., h. 0.1), was found in the debris. Probably, part of the altar table, due to its tiny size, but not for sure.
Narrow opening at the north-western corner of the bema connected it with the ambo. The wooden structure of the ambo rested on three marble legs set on moulded marble bases. The impressions made by the legs may be seen in the mortar in which they were placed. Access from the bema to the ambo was apparently by means of wooden steps. The delicate small Attic base of the columns comprise two tori and scotia between them. One column is completely preserved. Its shaft has an apophyge in a shape of a collar. The small greyish-marble Corinthian capital (0.2 x 0.2 m, upper D 0.15 m., h. 0.18 m) is comprised from four corner acanthus leaves and coordinates with the shaft of the ambo. It was found in debris.
Fragment of polygonal post, or colonnete, carved from white marble, was found toppled in the cistern. It was attributed by Negev as chancel post, though by the other parallels it might be attributed as capital of the coloumn for ambo. The trunk is decorated by several vertical flutings and horizontal plain collars. Similar colonnettes are at Nessana (Colt, 1962, PI. XVI 1 1:8, 1 2, 14). The other two cylindrical marble colonnettes of unknown function were found in the same place. Their shafts are smooth, one is adorned with base (D. 0.1-0.145 m., h. 0.215 m; D. 0.1-0.145 m., h.0.215 m.).
Fragment of colonnette, carved from white marble, was found in debris (W. 0.125 m., d. 0.09 m., h. 0.23 m.).
Several building stones (at least four), carved from limestone, were found in debris. Their surface was decorated with various compositions with crosses, rosettes and geometrcial ancillary motifs. Several segments of the engaged pilasters were found in different parts of the church. One was found on the southern wall in the baptistery. It was carved from limestone (W. 0.48 m., h. 0.295 m., th. 0.25 m) and decorated with six-petalled rosettes placed into the circle. This type of rosette is common throughout Palestine. The other segment of the pilaster was found scattered in the debris (W. 0.39 m., h. 0.22 m., th. 0.17 m.). The leaves of the incised rosette are deeply cut. Ancillary element resembles bead-and-reel pattern. Another one segment of engaged pilaster was found in the debris near the northern wall of the basilica (W. 0.51 m., h. 0.29 m., th. 0.2 m). It was decorated with the raised rectangle with the inscribed into it six-petalled rosette in the circle and added by notches. One more member of the pilaster (W. 0.5 m., h. 0.28 m., th. 0.3 m) was found in the debris. It is decorated with the deeply cut six-petalled rosette surrounded by six leaves in raised circle.
The baptismal font, situated in the southern attached building, was covered with a cyborium (baldachin), of which several members of four columns, carved from the same stone with capitals, are preserved. Their size are comparatively large. Two preserved capitals (D. 0.24 m., h. 0.33 m., top of capital measures 0.24 x 0.22; D. 0.24 m., h. 1.12 m) remotely resemble Pseudo-Corinthian order, comprising at each side of a geometric motif of two attached arches (or semicircles), with plain dots (or balls) in the central parts of them. The arches at one of the capitals are articulated with narrow lines, repeating the main motifs. The lower parts of the capitals are adorned with several rows of plain horizontal lines and bands. 118. 5073 (Photo 103). Base attached to the shaft of colonnette was also found in the baptistery and it coordinated with the capitals. The lower part is adorned with square plinth and a plain collar (D. 0.24 m., h. 1.12 m). A member of the marble column with diagonal flutes was found in the cistern in the atrium. Usually such columns were executed specially for the ciborium.
Member of the colonnette with twisted flutes might belong to ciborium also. See chancel screen posts section, ill. Negev 1988:96, Photo 100, no.114
Both aisles were paved with slabs of stone of different sizes and quality. The paving of the northern aisle rested on a thick fill, whereas that of the southern was laid directly on the natural rock. The floor of the nave was covered with mosaic. The atrium was completely paved with small slabs of limestone, of which considerable portions are preserved on the east and north. Where the stone slabs are missing, their imprints are traceable.
Leg, carved from greyish marble, with an angular bulge in the lower part. Looks like a foot of cantharus(?). It was found in debris (D. 0.11-0.19 m., h. 0.58 m.). This small cantharus for Holy water may have stood in the atrium.
Both stylobata of the basilica revealed a row of shallow depressions faintly visible, approximately two meters from one another. Probably. these were made for the legs of wooden benches along the aisles. A sundial, carved from limestone and decorated by cross in middle and palm branches at sides was found in the cistern in the atrium (W. 0.285 m., h.0.2 m., th. 0.38 m).