Nebo Mount No. 1 / Mont Nebo / Jabal Naba / Nabā, Jabal an- / Neba Jebel / Jebel Neba

Image copyright © Davies, 1962

PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE -- IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

Results: 5 records

animal - bird - at a tree - 2

Scene Description: appear twice on the surface of the mosaic surrounding the font; the birds do not look like doves, nor does the tree look like an acanthus

Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Davies, 1962

Image Source: Davies (1962: pl. 9)

Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE -- IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

animal - mammal - deer or gazelle - 2 - at a fruit-bearing tree

Scene Description: on the mosaic surrounding the font, two such pairs originally, but two of the animals have totally disappeared and only the legs remain of a third; of the fourth one most of the body remains except the head and one of the front legs

Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Davies, 1962

Image Source: Davies (1962: pl. 9)

Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE -- IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

design element - patterns - geometric

Scene Description: on the mosaic surrounding the font, a large rectangular frame

Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Davies, 1962

Image Source: Davies (1962: pl. 9)

Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE -- IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

view of font

Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Davies, 1962

Image Source: Davies (1962: pl. 9 [detail])

Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE -- IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

view of font in context

Copyright Statement: Image copyright © Davies, 1962

Image Source: Davies (1962: pl. 9)

Copyright Instructions: PERMISSION NOT AVAILABLE -- IMAGE NOT FOR PUBLIC USE

INFORMATION

FontID: 02766NEB
Country Name: Jordan
Location: Amman
Directions to Site: Mount Nebo is located north-east of the Dead Sea, in Jordan
Date: 531
Century and Period: 6th century, Early Christian
Cognate Fonts: Madaba, Bibon-S, etc. (class 4a in Ben Pechat)
Malle's (1994) illustration shows a cruciform structure partly sunken and partly raised; there are steps visible on one side; floral and geometric decoration (mosaic?) around the piscina (Malle, 1994). Ben-Pechat classifies it as a "4a" [cf. Ben-Pechat, 1989 for explanation of the classifications], a pure cruciform shape outside and in, and gives the following details: built in masonry, 90 cms in depth, has an adjacent small font, has a water evacuation system but no conduction to it, has 3 stairwells of 3 steps on the east, north and west sides; his reconstruction shows that the sunken part is about 1/3 to 1/4 of the total height (N3a category in Ben Pechat) and that there was a square ciborium supported on four columns, as was the case with Sbeitla [cf. Index entry for Sbeitla]. (Ben-Pechat, 1989). The illustration in Davies (1962: pl. 9) shows the font surrounded by a beautiful mosaic depicting birds, deer/gazelles at fruit-laden trees, geometric patterns and two large circles with Greek inscriptions [texts not available at present]

COORDINATES

UTM: 36R 758084 3517805

MEDIUM AND MEASUREMENTS

Material: stone, type unknown
Font Shape: cruciform (Greek cross)
Basin Interior Shape: cruciform (GReek cross)
Basin Exterior Shape: round
Drainage Notes: Ben Pechat mentions an "evacuation system"

INSCRIPTION

Inscription Language: Greek
Inscription Notes: NB: some of the text of the second inscription is legible in the source image
Inscription Location: 1.- on the threshold of the baptistery [only one word remains] -- 2.- in two large circles to the sides of the font
Inscription Text: 1.- "EIPHNH" 2.- [transcription not available]
Inscription Source: Davies (1962: p. 39 and pl. 9)

REFERENCES

Ben-Pechat, Malka, "The Paleochristian baptismal fonts in the Holy Land: formal and functional study", 39, Liber annuus. Studi biblici Franciscani, 1989, pp. 165-188; r["References"]
Davies, J.G., The Architectural Setting of Baptism, London: Barrie and Rockliff, 1962
Malle, Louis, Sources du baptême: découvrir les baptistères et les fonts baptismaux, Paris: Éditions de l'atelier, 1994