Page 108 - A Walk to Caesarea / Joseph Patrich
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94 Archaeological Review
Fig. 96 Apparently, at the beginning of the Byzantine
Remains of a Christian era, the sacellum was turned into a Christian martyrs’
martyrs’ chapel installed in chapel (Fig. 96; see also Fig. 44 above, p. 41). Three
place of the Roman arena base stones were found there – apparently for the legs
shrine (sacellum). The of an altar table – a common finding in Christian
remains of the martyrs who chapels and churches. Seemingly, at least part of the
met their deaths in the arena niches cut into the kurkar rock are from this phase.
were probably placed in the In any event, the large niche in the center chamber
depressions cut in the rock certainly served in this phase as an apsidal niche. The
wall in the side chambers elongated niches, in the side chambers, may have held
the remains of martyrs, as in the Christian catacombs
Fig. 97 (left) in Rome.
The southern palatial
mansion, pergola paved with Palatial Mansions
marble slabs and bound by
pillars that led to the seashore Two large palatial mansions with warehouses and shops alongside them, from
the Byzantine period, were discovered in the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA)
Fig. 98 (right) excavations, led by Yosef Porath. Each complex occupies an entire insula. They
The southern palatial ranged from cardo W1 to the seashore. The section of the southern palatial mansion
mansion, mosaic-paved upper near the sea was designed as a decorative garden with a fountain and irrigation
corridor, looking west channels, traversed by a wide corridor that led to the seashore (Fig. 97). The
corridor was paved with marble slabs and delineated by piers that probably supported
a pergola. At its eastern end was a marble-reveted niche, partially preserved in situ.
A broad staircase leads from this level to the main level of the villa, which looks
out upon the sea. From there a mosaic-paved corridor continues (Fig. 98). This is
the easiest way to climb here from the hippo-stadium arena, which had been buried
under a fill of dung some 150 years earlier. On the upper level, above the seats
of the hippo-stadium, two courtyards were uncovered. The eastern one served a
two-story wing with marble columns. Located on the northern side was a trilobate
hall used as a dining hall (stibadium). In one of the rooms was found a workshop
