 Click Photo for Larger Version
|
Image ToolbarPlease read before you download
Images and/or text from holylandphotos.org are NOT TO BE USED ON OTHER WEB SITES, NOR COMMERCIALLY, without special permission. To request permission contact us at holylandphotos@gmail.com. |
This larger-than-life statue of Governor Oikoumenios was found near the Bouleuterion. It dates to the fourth century AD.
The governor wears a sleeved and belted tunic and a long military-style cloak (chlamys). He holds a scroll in his right hand and additional scrolls stand in a bundle on the plinth—at his feet. The inscription on the base on which this stood (not in photograph) praises the governor's knowledge of the law, his ability to speak both Greek and Latin, and his purity of mind and hand (he does not take bribes). On the back of his head (not visible) a Christian sculptor inscribed three letters, "XMG," to mark his faith: they stand for Christon Maria genna, or "Christ was born to Mary." (from the museum description)
