Beth Govrin (Eleutheropolis) - Mahatt el-Urdi church - South aisle

Location in the architectural complex: 
South aisle
Mosaic floor
Composition: 
5X14 m. The border is a four-strand guilloch in between plain strips. The field is made of an octagons surrounded by squares and lozenges, within each of the four octagons composing the field, there is a circle. Each circle has a different border and a different design. The upper circle has a "wreath" border. The field contains two peacock carrying a garland in their beaks over a bowl of fruit. In the squares around the octagonwere animals, only a horse and bull in the two top left squares remain. The second circle from the top has a border of a wavy ribbon (scroll). The field depicts a lion ravening its prey. The four squares above and below the octagon contaons a pair of birds sanding on both sides of a small plant. In each of the two squares along the sides, there is a fountain shaped like a vase surounded by four birds. The third circle has a "wreath" border. The field depicts a boat manned by two sailors who are thursting Jonah toward the jaws of the sea-monster (whale or the Ketos of the septuagint). The squares surronding the circle containd animals. In the top left squres an elephant and an ibex remain. The rhombs between the squares are filled with varieties of single lozenges. The triangles are filed with simple geometric patteren such as reticulate patterns, multicolored squares, danticulated triangles, broken lines and more.
Geometric patterns: 
Avi-Yonah A1
Avi-Yonah B4
Avi-Yonah H13
Avi-Yonah B1
Avi-Yonah I6
Avi-Yonah H1
Avi-Yonah G3
Avi-Yonah A5
Avi-Yonah A6
Iconographical motives: 
peacock
horse
bull
lion
Birds
fountain shaped like a vase
boat
Sailors
Jonah
sea-monster
elephant
ibex
bowl of fruit
Floral motives: 
wreath
garland
small plant
Comments: 
The bodies of the peacocks are damaged. The animals in the squares aorund the upper circle were delibratly removed. In the second circle, most of the lion scene was deliberatliy destroyed. Only the outline of all of the birds in the sorrunding squares remained. The figures in the third circle were mutilated, and the animals in the surronding squares mutilated beyond recognition. The fourth circle and surrounding squares are destroyed.