Browsing by Author "Freidman, Zaraza"

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The ship depicted in a mosaic from migdal, Israel
(Uludağ Üniversitesi, 2008) Freidman, Zaraza
Iconography of ships in mosaics comprises two fields: ancient ships and shipping, along with mosaic art and techniques. This theme is very complex and however it has been paid insufficient attention in the past. Due to this durable art form, the ships depicted in mosaics may be referred as actual images of vessels concurrent to the period when such surfaces were made. The research started with my MA dissertation (1999, unpublished), which encompassed the eastern Mediterranean, Israel and Jordan. Throughout my PhD dissertation (2003, unpublished), this theme dealt with the entire Mediterranean world. It relates to shipbuilding materials, types of ships, sailing environments, as well with the propulsion and steering rig. The following paper describes one of the earliest mosaics with ship depiction that was found in Israel, at Migdal, located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee (in Hebrew: Yam Kinneret) (fig. 1). Although some reddish-brown tesserae were used for some distinct parts in the objects depicted in the mosaic, it follows the black-and-white technique (rare example in the eastern Mediterranean). The mosaic reflects tight art connections with the early Roman Empire of the 1st centuries BCE – CE. The Migdal mosaic is no longer found at it original location. Today it is mounted into a metal frame and placed among other artifacts in the courtyard of the “Church of the Multiple Loaves and Fish”, at Capernaum (Tabgha).