DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4391#0029
THE MINOR ANTIQUITIES.
25
waning moon. This tank gives a further view that
these steps were at the great temple tank or sacred
lake, and were copied in the model tanks provided
in the temple. Why such model tanks were made
may be gleaned from some details. They are all rough
below and round the lower half, but finished smooth
round the edge and inside. They were therefore not
for dedications, to place free-standing in the temple, but
must have been sunk half in the earth. Theuseofthem
is shewn by a foot carved in the bottom of one ; they
were probably for washing the feet before prayers in
the temple, like the Islamic ablutions. And they were
apparently thus used to save the trouble and un-
pleasantness of going down to the great tank, with the
populace. Some persons were even more particular,
and declined to use a model tank in common. One
Aristius Saturninus, more fastidious or litigious than
other people, had a tank solely for his own use,
inscribed as his own place (XXVIII, 13).
In the town we found a trachyte corn-grinder,
formed as a slab 16 x 11 inches and 3 thick, with a
slit 9 X i| along the middle, and sloping sides to
the slit, which has a sharp edge. Thus the corn was
laid in the wide space over the slit, and gradually
worked down through the slit as the stone was slid to
and fro on a lower slab. Pieces of such are often
found on Roman sites in the Delta (" Nebesheh,"
p. 27); and though at first mistaken for window-slits,
the real use has been surmised, although a whole
example has not been found before. In this instance,
the bar-holes for fastening a cross handle for pushing
it to and fro are unmistakable.
42. Of Roman age also is a fine brick tomb
(XXVI, top), outside of the Roman fortification on
the east. It has been preserved to a height of 9 feet
8 inches, by being deeply heaped around with broken
pottery and rubbish of the third century A.D. ; and
these heaps have undergone slow combustion of the
organic matter in them, which has baked them and
the tomb to a brick-red colour. The dividing of the
outside surface by pilasters, is akin to the so-called
" Tomb of Absalom " at Jerusalem ; and as this tomb
cannot be later than the Antonines (by the date of
the heaps which bury it), it is probably of the 1st or
early 2nd century, A.D. Very probably the type was
brought in by the Palmyrene archers stationed here,
who were familiar with it in their own city. The
interior is divided in two parts by a cross wall ; and
the access is by a doorway at either end in the upper
storey. Probably the lower chambers contained the
burial, as we found in them a large jar of blue glaze,
14^ inches high, which contained calcined bones.
Over the lower part a brick floor was probably built,
and the openings above may have had statues placed
in them. Had they been closed as doors, the brick
filling would probably have remained. The capitals
of the pilasters had no detail, but were simply formed
by projecting the bricks and smoothing the form to a
rough moulding. Of Roman age is a curious stele of
Osiris (V, 12), in which he is figured with the long
cloak, six stars around him, Hor-sam-taui on one side,
and the eye of Horus on the opposite side. (Ghizeh
Museum.)
Of Roman remains many varieties of cups with
white slip in high relief were found (in Brit. Mus.,
Roman), and other small objects which do not call for
remark.
43. Of Coptic times is a stele with a doorway
represented, much like Gayet, Fig. 24; but in this
case there is an outer doorway of twisted columns
supporting a pediment. (Univ. Coll.) The remains
of a Coptic church (XXVI, top) stand between the
ancient and modern town. The plan of it cannot now
be traced, except in the region of the Baptistery, which
is valuable as probably the oldest oriental baptistery
remaining. The cruciform tank has three steps
leading down into it : the central space is about
7 feet across between the parallel sides, affording
plenty of space for immersion of adults, while the
three recesses, being 28 inches wide, are fully sufficient
for a person to stand in : possibly they were for the
priest, and two deacons with the oil of exorcism and
the oil of thanksgiving, in an earlier form of the ritual
than now exists, when adult baptism w-as general.
There are two pillars of red granite (taken from the
temple of Tahutmes III) on the east of the tank, and
a fallen one on the west, suggesting that a square
canopy or baldachino stood over it. Two similar
pillars are in the hall on the west. The scenes have
been erased from nearly all the sides of these pillars,
one being left untouched on the south side of the
south pillar in the hall ; the inscriptions are also
erased, except that the ankh has been left intact,
probably as a symbol of life or a form of the cross.
Beside these there are some octagonal columns with
circular bases, lying by the tank ; these are of late
Roman work. The remains of the capitals of lime-
stone are of a debased Corinthian style, probably of
the late IVth or the Vth century. If the interwoven
capitals of Justinian extended so far, we could date
this building certainly before his time ; but common
as they are at Constantinople, Ravenna and Jerusalem,
E
25
waning moon. This tank gives a further view that
these steps were at the great temple tank or sacred
lake, and were copied in the model tanks provided
in the temple. Why such model tanks were made
may be gleaned from some details. They are all rough
below and round the lower half, but finished smooth
round the edge and inside. They were therefore not
for dedications, to place free-standing in the temple, but
must have been sunk half in the earth. Theuseofthem
is shewn by a foot carved in the bottom of one ; they
were probably for washing the feet before prayers in
the temple, like the Islamic ablutions. And they were
apparently thus used to save the trouble and un-
pleasantness of going down to the great tank, with the
populace. Some persons were even more particular,
and declined to use a model tank in common. One
Aristius Saturninus, more fastidious or litigious than
other people, had a tank solely for his own use,
inscribed as his own place (XXVIII, 13).
In the town we found a trachyte corn-grinder,
formed as a slab 16 x 11 inches and 3 thick, with a
slit 9 X i| along the middle, and sloping sides to
the slit, which has a sharp edge. Thus the corn was
laid in the wide space over the slit, and gradually
worked down through the slit as the stone was slid to
and fro on a lower slab. Pieces of such are often
found on Roman sites in the Delta (" Nebesheh,"
p. 27); and though at first mistaken for window-slits,
the real use has been surmised, although a whole
example has not been found before. In this instance,
the bar-holes for fastening a cross handle for pushing
it to and fro are unmistakable.
42. Of Roman age also is a fine brick tomb
(XXVI, top), outside of the Roman fortification on
the east. It has been preserved to a height of 9 feet
8 inches, by being deeply heaped around with broken
pottery and rubbish of the third century A.D. ; and
these heaps have undergone slow combustion of the
organic matter in them, which has baked them and
the tomb to a brick-red colour. The dividing of the
outside surface by pilasters, is akin to the so-called
" Tomb of Absalom " at Jerusalem ; and as this tomb
cannot be later than the Antonines (by the date of
the heaps which bury it), it is probably of the 1st or
early 2nd century, A.D. Very probably the type was
brought in by the Palmyrene archers stationed here,
who were familiar with it in their own city. The
interior is divided in two parts by a cross wall ; and
the access is by a doorway at either end in the upper
storey. Probably the lower chambers contained the
burial, as we found in them a large jar of blue glaze,
14^ inches high, which contained calcined bones.
Over the lower part a brick floor was probably built,
and the openings above may have had statues placed
in them. Had they been closed as doors, the brick
filling would probably have remained. The capitals
of the pilasters had no detail, but were simply formed
by projecting the bricks and smoothing the form to a
rough moulding. Of Roman age is a curious stele of
Osiris (V, 12), in which he is figured with the long
cloak, six stars around him, Hor-sam-taui on one side,
and the eye of Horus on the opposite side. (Ghizeh
Museum.)
Of Roman remains many varieties of cups with
white slip in high relief were found (in Brit. Mus.,
Roman), and other small objects which do not call for
remark.
43. Of Coptic times is a stele with a doorway
represented, much like Gayet, Fig. 24; but in this
case there is an outer doorway of twisted columns
supporting a pediment. (Univ. Coll.) The remains
of a Coptic church (XXVI, top) stand between the
ancient and modern town. The plan of it cannot now
be traced, except in the region of the Baptistery, which
is valuable as probably the oldest oriental baptistery
remaining. The cruciform tank has three steps
leading down into it : the central space is about
7 feet across between the parallel sides, affording
plenty of space for immersion of adults, while the
three recesses, being 28 inches wide, are fully sufficient
for a person to stand in : possibly they were for the
priest, and two deacons with the oil of exorcism and
the oil of thanksgiving, in an earlier form of the ritual
than now exists, when adult baptism w-as general.
There are two pillars of red granite (taken from the
temple of Tahutmes III) on the east of the tank, and
a fallen one on the west, suggesting that a square
canopy or baldachino stood over it. Two similar
pillars are in the hall on the west. The scenes have
been erased from nearly all the sides of these pillars,
one being left untouched on the south side of the
south pillar in the hall ; the inscriptions are also
erased, except that the ankh has been left intact,
probably as a symbol of life or a form of the cross.
Beside these there are some octagonal columns with
circular bases, lying by the tank ; these are of late
Roman work. The remains of the capitals of lime-
stone are of a debased Corinthian style, probably of
the late IVth or the Vth century. If the interwoven
capitals of Justinian extended so far, we could date
this building certainly before his time ; but common
as they are at Constantinople, Ravenna and Jerusalem,
E