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There were at least three Early Byzantine churches in Arraba.
According to Guerin (repeated by Dauphin, by Bagatti), the mosque of the modern village was built over the remains of this Byzantine church. Authors mentioned two monolith limestone columns reused in the mosque that replaced the church, hence the church might have been basilical. Two marble colonnettes were also recorded incorporated in a wall of a house, as well as an underground cistern under the mosque.
Another chapel was uncovered during the building of the house by Yussef Kuri, a local Christian (Tzaferis 1969, 1970; Ovadiah 1970; Biran 1969). According to Bagatti, it was almost completely destroyed by the contruction of the new house, which is standing now over it. Mainly by the remains of the mosaics were uncovered. The chapel, 5.5x7 m; dimensions had a square apse (5.5 x 3.5 m). The chancel screen, with a central passage, was resting on a low stylobate. Five steps were leading to a underground crypt, built under the bema.Tzaferis described mainly the mosaics and interpreted the inscription, found on it.
According to Tzaferis two other mosaic pavements were excavated in the village in 1968. They belong to the nave and chancel of a Byzantine church apparently dated to the 6th century. The mosaic in the nave consisted of a margin and a simple border; the field comprised of concentric circles, with lozenges in between. A round medallion in the nave was contained a Greek inscription that begins with an invocation to God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and ends with the name of Bishop Gregorius (in whose time the church was built), including a date" (Tzaferis 1971: XVIII). The mosaic in the chancel had geometric motifs of large and small squares, with small crosses within the latter.
A third Early Christian church might have existed under the modern Catholic church. According to Bagatti, it was restored in 1960s. Earlier he observed there remains of mosaic floors and a lintel with the cross and other decorated architectural details reused in the renovated church. A stucco detail he had published seems to be medieval, rather than Early Christian.
The walls were destroyed
Dimensions of the hall: 5.5x7 m
Dimensions of the square apse: 5.5 x 3.5 m
Category | Description |
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Inscription - see under epigraphy | 14-lines Greek inscription, of which only 5 lines had survived. |
Epigraphy