Between the fourth and the seventh centuries CE, Christian patrons erected thousands of churches, chapels, and monasteries in cities and villages across the Mediterranean, decorating the apses, walls and floors of many of these structures with figural and geometric mosaics. These late antique Christian mosaics have been studied for their iconography, their Graeco-Roman components, and as evidence for the religious beliefs of newly-Christian patrons. However, art historians largely have ignored the ways that texts, inscribed within the visual field and composed of the same mosaic material, functioned as images in Christian spaces. For the first time, this thesis assembles the foundations of a comprehensive catalogue of early Christian mosaic inscriptions, places them back into the physical spaces in which they were meant to be read, and analyzes how these texts functioned both verbally and visually for the late antique reader/viewer, against the backdrop of Graeco-Roman traditions. I first examine the ekphrastic components of Christian inscriptions and look more closely at the different ways in which texts work with and against images and spaces, encouraging the viewer to react physically and mentally. Second, I study the language of light used by the inscriptions, and argue that this language linked text to the material of mosaic and enabled patrons to make complex statements about their cultural erudition and religious affiliation. Third, I investigate the functions and visual forms of short tituli which label scenes or name figures to simplify, authenticate or transform static images into narratives in motion. Finally, I turn to the frames of the inscriptions and contend that different forms conveyed powerful visual arguments. By writing these texts back into their mosaics, this thesis argues that texts and images were inseparable in the period, and that text written into images performed and played in more complex ways than has been previously thought.

"Based on the thesis submitted by the author for the degree 'Doctor of Philosophy' to the Senate of Hebrew University, Jerusalem, in 1976"--P. viii. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 265-275) and indexes.

Doctorat en philosophie et lettres / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

La présente thèse de doctorat est consacrée à l'étude d'un lot de papyrus conservés aux Musées Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire de Bruxelles. La plupart de ces textes proviennent du monastère d'apa Apollô de Baouît en Moyenne-Égypte.<p>L'introduction s'attache à retracer la genèse du lot et se conclut par un inventaire des papyrus qui peuvent lui être attribués.<p>Un premier chapitre présente le monastère de Baouît (sources, le fondateur, le site monastique et son histoire, les moines, l'organisation, la place du monastère dans le contexte régional).<p>Le deuxième chapitre est consacré aux textes documentaires du monastère de Baouît. Différents thèmes sont ensuite abordés: les supports de l'écriture, la paléographie, l'usage des langues (grec et copte), les particularités linguistiques et l'apport des textes édités.<p>Les 100 papyrus publiés sont répartis dans les sections suivantes: 1. ordres de l'administration monastique, 2. ordres de paiements; 3. comptes et listes; 4. reçus; 5. contrats de prêt; 6. autres contrats; 7. lettres; 8. protocoles; 9. varia; 10. annexe. Divers tableaux et annexes complètent les éditions.<p>Un dernier chapitre traite des activités économiques du monastère de Baouît (sources, patrimoine, productions, revenus et dépenses).<p> / Doctorat en philosophie et lettres, Orientation langue et littérature / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished