Tarkhanova Svetlana
National Treasures Department of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA), Israel
 
Typology of the Chancel Screen Panels in the Churches in the Holy Land and the Panels with the Composition of Quadrupeds Flanking the Cross as a Case Study
 
The report has two main parts and aims. Primarily, it provides, for the first time, a complete typology of all chancel screens found in churches and monasteries across the Holy Land, based on their techniques and compositions.
Secondly, the article focuses on a selected, limited collection of local chancel screen panels depicting quadrupeds (gazelles, deer, antelopes, fawns, and rams) as a case study. A brief analysis of the composition and style of the preserved fragments allows us to present the overall development of the quadruped-type chancel screen panels and to highlight their place among other, more widespread types, which were generally of lower quality. Among other composition types, those featuring quadrupeds stand out for their artistic and technical qualities and might be considered a culmination of the development of liturgical furniture of the Early Byzantine period (at least, locally). Their geographical distribution will be mapped accordingly.

The use of quadrupeds in compositions was comparatively rare, with only a limited number of examples identified (thirteen in an ecclesiastical context). The images of various quadrupeds were often interchangeable but bore similar symbolic meanings. They can be compared to similar designs seen on floor and wall mosaic carpets in local and regional churches.