Rivka Gersht

This article offers a brief preliminary account of the study of the decoration of the 5th–7th century CE enigmatic complex uncovered at Caesarea Maritima during excavations by the Israel Antiquities Authority. It introduces the decorative programme of eight of the complex’s spaces, while pointing to the difficulties and considerations taken in studying their remains and reconstructing their ornamentation. The study shows that (a) the interior and exterior decoration followed a master plan; (b) the decoration within the complex was carefully chosen to provide each of the various parts with the patterns and materials most appropriate for its space and function, and (c) the repertory of motives, materials, and inscriptions, the lack of facilities for private dwelling spaces such as kitchen and sleeping rooms, and the dimensions of the Baths all indicate that the complex was a communal property rather than a private one.

The Khirbet Ibtin cuboid weight, sculpted with an image of a sleeping Eros, was found in a house of a Roman village—possibly ancient Gamada/Gamda—situated in Western Galilee. The article places the weight within the frame of cuboid weights from other sites outside the Landof Israel; explores the issue of marked and unmarked weight values; the iconography, provenance and craftsmanship of the weight; and the significance the Khirbet Ibtin weight, ornamented with a sleeping Eros, could have had where agriculture was the essence of the settlement.

The excavations at Caesarea Maritima – the harbor city built by Herod the Great
in 22–10/9 BCE on the northern part of the coastal Plain of Sharon – yielded plenty
of evidence for local production of architectural decoration out of raw and recycled
materials. As it is impossible to deal with all available evidence in the framework of
this study, we will focus on selected examples of producing and recycling architectural
members and reliefs, floor pavements and wall revetments.