The "peopled" scroll motif in the Land of Israel in the Roman period: the case of the marble friezes in the Roman theatre at Beth Shean/Scythopolis

• Asher Ovadiah ^[1]
  1. [1] Tel Aviv University

     Tel Aviv University

     Israel

     
• Localización: Interdisciplinary studies on ancient stone: proceedings of the IX Association for the Study of Marbles and Other Stones in Antiquity (ASMOSIA) Conference (Tarragona 2009) / coord. por Anna Gutiérrez García-Moreno, María Pilar Lapuente Mercadal, Isabel Rodà de Llanza, 2012, ISBN 978-84-939033-8-1, págs. 61-67
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • The "people" scroll motif is characterized by the "baroque" design that was common in Hellenistic art and popular throughout the Roman and Byzantine periods. The Beth Shean/Scythopolis Roman theatre marble friezes, decorated the "scaenae frons" and dated to the late 2nd-early 3rd century AD, constitute the largest and richest assemblage of "peopled" or "inhabited" scrolls found to date in the Land of Israel. In addition, this motif is also found in the Roman theatre and other buildings at Caesarea Maritima, in the Temple of Baalshamin at Kedesh, Upper Galilee, in ancient Galilean synagogues, etc. Many variants are noted, evidence of the freedom enjoyed by the artists and craftsmen in their choice of motif, design and execution. Typological analysis and study of the motifs may reveal repeated use of a particular motif or composition and possibly even locate the model employed.