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Empires to Nation-States

Late Antiquity

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Jerusalem On the Famous Mosaic Floor from Madaba

Jerusalem On the Famous Mosaic Floor from Madaba

This is a precious depiction of Jerusalem on a partially preserved sixth-century floor map in a Christian church in Madaba, Jordan. It shows the walls of the city and some of its most prominent buildings. The map also lists other important towns in the Holy Land. It is composed mosaic (pieces of colored marble). The map is badly damaged so we have only limited sections of it, but it helps scholars identify locations in late antique Jerusalem. It also helps understanding late antique map-making and conceptions of geography. Numerous other significant mosaics survive in Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria.

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