Mosaic Fragment with a Pair of Goats
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.Flanking the elaborate palm tree at center are a pair of goats, doves, stylized plants, and two inscriptions. One is possibly the earliest inscription in Arabic ("in peace") in a church. It may also be in Aramaic ("Give repose [and] give salvation"). The other is the Greek name "Saola," probably referring to the archdeacon Saolos, whose name appears in two more inscriptions at the site. The bilingual character of the inscription reflects the multiplicity of peoples living in Byzantium’s southern provinces at the time.
Artwork Details
- Title: Mosaic Fragment with a Pair of Goats
- Date: ca. 535/536
- Geography: Made in Jordan, ecavated at Khirbat al-Mukhayyat
- Medium: Colored stone tesserae on a white background
- Dimensions: 135 1/16 x 124 x 5 7/8 in. (343 x 315 x 15 cm)
- Classification: Mosaics
- Credit Line: Franciscan Archaeological Institute–Mount Nebo, Custody of the Holy Land
- Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters