DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45582#0057
Umm idj-Djimal (Thantia?)
191
The outer walls are quite completely preserved, the arches of the nave have fallen,
but their piers are standing. The unusual part of the church is at the east end, where
there is a chamber of the ordinary kind on the north of the rectangular sanctuary, but
no chamber on the south side, the space for the prothesis being divided from the sanc-
tuary and from the end of the aisle by arches. The arch of the sanctuary and these
two arches of the prothesis are still standing, all three being carried by a single pier.
The remains show conclusively that the whole church was covered by a flat roof at one
level, the side aisles certainly with slabs of stone, and the middle aisle in the same
manner, in all probability. The roofs of the sanctuary and side spaces were also of
stone and on the same level. The interior still preserves bits of plaster in three coats
upon its walls, and shows other signs of having been well finished. The exterior was
also covered with stucco, but few traces of it are now to be found.
Church of Numerianos. North of the barracks, and in the middle of the open
common, is this interesting church, built, according to the inscriptions, 1 as a vow by
Numerianos, Johannes and Maria, and which I have called the Church of Numerianos
for the sake of brevity. A compact group of residential buildings surrounds a small
cloister court on the north. The ground plan (Ill. 171) presents nothing that is un-
usual in church plans, and it is only when the superstructure is examined for resto-
ration that the unique features of the building become evident. The plan is that of
the ordinary three-aisled basilica with apse and side chamber giving a flat east wall,
and with a colonnaded porch at the west. The supports of the broad arches of the
nave are square piers, two on a side, to carry the six arches. The first unusual feat-
ure to be noticed is a wall-arch above the central west portal, springing from one to
the other of the piers at the west end. The opening of the apse has been closed
by a wall built probably by Arabs after the rise of Islam ; the front wall of the cham-
ber on the south side of the apse was apparently in part rebuilt at the same time.
The west wall is completely preserved in its lower storey, and, at its north end,
a section of the upper storey wall, crowned with an angle pilaster cap of the Ionic
order, gives the height of the wall at that point. The entire south wall and the south
arcade of the nave have collapsed, and the south chamber beside the apse is in ruins;
but the apse wall still remains up to the level from which the semi-dome sprang; the
chamber on the north side of the apse is completely preserved. The northern half of
the church preserves much of its original form intact (Ill. 172), enough, in fact, to give
ample material for a complete restoration of the nave. The three arches on this side
of the nave are not only standing, but they still carry a large part of the clearstorey
wall intact to its full height, and the stone roof of the north aisle, which is composed
of well fitted slabs. This, of course, involves the preservation of the north aisle wall.
Section C-D in Ill. 171, shows, by shading, just how much of the clearstorey is in place :
at the east end its full height is given, the remainder shows that there was a rect-
angular window centered over each arch, and one over each pier. There were corbels
in the wall above the windows, which had to do with the support of a wooden roof
above the middle aisle. The curious and interesting feature of this church is that the
apparent clearstorey windows did not open to the light of day, but into a gallery above
the side aisle. The wall of the side aisle was carried up in an upper storey equal in
1 III, inscs. 257-259.
191
The outer walls are quite completely preserved, the arches of the nave have fallen,
but their piers are standing. The unusual part of the church is at the east end, where
there is a chamber of the ordinary kind on the north of the rectangular sanctuary, but
no chamber on the south side, the space for the prothesis being divided from the sanc-
tuary and from the end of the aisle by arches. The arch of the sanctuary and these
two arches of the prothesis are still standing, all three being carried by a single pier.
The remains show conclusively that the whole church was covered by a flat roof at one
level, the side aisles certainly with slabs of stone, and the middle aisle in the same
manner, in all probability. The roofs of the sanctuary and side spaces were also of
stone and on the same level. The interior still preserves bits of plaster in three coats
upon its walls, and shows other signs of having been well finished. The exterior was
also covered with stucco, but few traces of it are now to be found.
Church of Numerianos. North of the barracks, and in the middle of the open
common, is this interesting church, built, according to the inscriptions, 1 as a vow by
Numerianos, Johannes and Maria, and which I have called the Church of Numerianos
for the sake of brevity. A compact group of residential buildings surrounds a small
cloister court on the north. The ground plan (Ill. 171) presents nothing that is un-
usual in church plans, and it is only when the superstructure is examined for resto-
ration that the unique features of the building become evident. The plan is that of
the ordinary three-aisled basilica with apse and side chamber giving a flat east wall,
and with a colonnaded porch at the west. The supports of the broad arches of the
nave are square piers, two on a side, to carry the six arches. The first unusual feat-
ure to be noticed is a wall-arch above the central west portal, springing from one to
the other of the piers at the west end. The opening of the apse has been closed
by a wall built probably by Arabs after the rise of Islam ; the front wall of the cham-
ber on the south side of the apse was apparently in part rebuilt at the same time.
The west wall is completely preserved in its lower storey, and, at its north end,
a section of the upper storey wall, crowned with an angle pilaster cap of the Ionic
order, gives the height of the wall at that point. The entire south wall and the south
arcade of the nave have collapsed, and the south chamber beside the apse is in ruins;
but the apse wall still remains up to the level from which the semi-dome sprang; the
chamber on the north side of the apse is completely preserved. The northern half of
the church preserves much of its original form intact (Ill. 172), enough, in fact, to give
ample material for a complete restoration of the nave. The three arches on this side
of the nave are not only standing, but they still carry a large part of the clearstorey
wall intact to its full height, and the stone roof of the north aisle, which is composed
of well fitted slabs. This, of course, involves the preservation of the north aisle wall.
Section C-D in Ill. 171, shows, by shading, just how much of the clearstorey is in place :
at the east end its full height is given, the remainder shows that there was a rect-
angular window centered over each arch, and one over each pier. There were corbels
in the wall above the windows, which had to do with the support of a wooden roof
above the middle aisle. The curious and interesting feature of this church is that the
apparent clearstorey windows did not open to the light of day, but into a gallery above
the side aisle. The wall of the side aisle was carried up in an upper storey equal in
1 III, inscs. 257-259.