The Mosaic Pavement of the House of Kyrios Leontis: Context and Meaning

Yehudit Turnheim, Asher Ovadiah,

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Abstract

The mosaic pavement of the House of Kyrios Leontis at Beth Shean/Scythopolis, dated to the 5th century CE, consists of three panels. The upper panel depicts a scene from Classical mythology - Odysseus and the Sirens. ln the middle one, 26 beribboned pigeons are depicted encircling a round medallion with a Greek inscription. ln the lower panel – the personification of the god Nile and a Nilotic scene are represented. These depictions are quite unusual for a Jewish complex.
They clearly indicate the influence of the Classical heritage that had pervaded the Jewish world. […]