804 PROCEEDINOS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. .vol.49. 



reminding of the cities figured on Greek coins of the Roman period 

 and on Roman medallions. 



Prominent on the map is the water. The Jordan as a compara- 

 tively broad stream falls into the Dead Sea. The delta arms of the 

 Nile represent broad stripes. The Dead Sea forms one of the great 

 features of the mosaic. The green surface is agitated by waves or 

 currents represented by thick black streaks. In the Jordan and the 

 Nile (in the latter not seen on the reproduction) fishes disport them- 

 selves, while on the Dead Sea, in which fishes can not exist, life is 

 represented by two vessels, one an oar boat with one sailor and two 

 oars, the other and larger one, with a mast having a yard at the top 

 and something like a snake, which is doubtless meant for a sail; 

 besides two oars, and two visible sailors. Intercourse between the 

 two sides of the Jordan is mediated by two bridges. 



The mountains of Sinai and of Judah are depicted in various tints 

 to indicate the different strata, and fairly produce the effect desired. 



A tendency to the realistic genre appears in the desert scene of a 

 gazelle being pursued by a lion or panther, in the fruit-laden pahn 

 trees, especially around Jerico, the ''city of palms" (Deuteronomy 

 xxxiv, 3; Judges i, 16; iii, 13; II Chronicles xxviii, 15), and Segor 

 or Zoar. 



On a freely conceived decorative illustration, which the mosaic is, 

 in its general purpose, it is not to be expected to find the distances of 

 the places from one another or their relative positions shown with 

 mathematical accurracy. Thus Palestine, and especially Jerusalem, 

 are enlarged out of proportion, in violation of the law of scale, while 

 Egypt is squeezed in on a small space. Still the location of places 

 is on the whole approximately accurate, and the general arrangement 

 is displayed well enough, and the picturesque details show not only 

 the hand of an artist, but also a careful study of the localities. 



PLACEMENT OF THE MOSAIC MAP. 



The idea of decorating the floor of a church with a map of Pales- 

 tine in mosaic is certainly unique, and the question arises, What 

 suggested it ? Schulten's answer has at least the merit of attractive- 

 ness. His theory (p. 113 and following) is that the mosaic was 

 intended to allow the pilgrims who after traversing the Holy Land 

 came to the East-Jordan region (as shown by the Itineraria), where 

 Medeba was situated, to repeat and recapitulate the real trip through 

 the land once more in miniature on the map. Schulten suggests that 

 the mosaic may be the votive offering of some wealthy pilgrim in 

 gratitude for the happy accomplishment of his journey in the Holy 

 Land, and that the dedication was lost along with the greater part 

 of the map. 



Clermont-Ganneau (PEFQS, 1901, p. 248 and following) makes 

 the objection to this explanation that it "doesn't account for the fact 



