146 THE HOLY LAND. 
*^^AP. of the art of painting have been known, which 
V II y - ' bear reference to the history of the Church. 
The wood of the sycamore was used for the 
backs of all these pictures; and to this their 
preservation may be attributed ; as the sycamore 
is never attacked by worms, and is known to 
endure for ages. Indeed, the Arabs maintain 
that it is not, in any degree, liable to decay. 
The second exhibits a more antient style of 
painting : it is a picture of the V^lrgin, bearing, 
in swaddling-clothes, the Infant Jesus. The 
style of it exactly resembles those curious 
specimens of the art which are found in the 
churches of Russia^; excepting, that it has 
an Arabic, instead of a Greek, inscription. This 
picture, as well as the former, is painted accord- 
ing to the mode prescribed by Theophilus^, in 
his chapter ' De Tabulis Altarium ; which alone 
affords satisfactory proof of its great antiquity. 
The colours were applied to a priming of chalk 
upon cloth previously stretched over a wooden 
tablet, and covered with a superficies of gluten 
or size. The Arabic inscription, placed in the 
(1) See the First Volume of these Travels, Chap. II. 
(2) See the antient Manuscript published by Raspe, and referred to by 
Mr. Kerrich, in his Note upon the former picture. 
