THE TRANSITION
85
simple molded caps above deep, flat bands. It is evident that this building is more
ancient than those about it. It is plain that it was of pagan origin, as the sculptures
of the lintel are purely pagan in subject; but it is difficult to say how much older it
may be than the late fourth-century edifices in its vicinity.
B'uda. house. There are large numbers of structures in the Djebel Riha of a
similar massive and somewhat crude style, but they are, for the most part, in complete
ruins. The best-pre-
served example, prob-
ably, is a house in
B'uda, several miles
to the south of Ru-
weha. This house is
exactly similar in plan
to the Ruweha exam-
ple; but here the
openings are wholly
devoid of ornament.
It is natural to pre-
sume that all the
buildings of this type
are older than the structures which surround them; it is not a matter of size or
importance, for there are many smaller houses equally devoid of ornament, which
are built in regular courses of smaller stones; but, as in the case of the house at
Ruweha, it is very difficult to assign them to any particular epoch.
Kront wall of house at B'uda.
85
simple molded caps above deep, flat bands. It is evident that this building is more
ancient than those about it. It is plain that it was of pagan origin, as the sculptures
of the lintel are purely pagan in subject; but it is difficult to say how much older it
may be than the late fourth-century edifices in its vicinity.
B'uda. house. There are large numbers of structures in the Djebel Riha of a
similar massive and somewhat crude style, but they are, for the most part, in complete
ruins. The best-pre-
served example, prob-
ably, is a house in
B'uda, several miles
to the south of Ru-
weha. This house is
exactly similar in plan
to the Ruweha exam-
ple; but here the
openings are wholly
devoid of ornament.
It is natural to pre-
sume that all the
buildings of this type
are older than the structures which surround them; it is not a matter of size or
importance, for there are many smaller houses equally devoid of ornament, which
are built in regular courses of smaller stones; but, as in the case of the house at
Ruweha, it is very difficult to assign them to any particular epoch.
Kront wall of house at B'uda.