The Basilica in Roman Palestine

Despite significant and well-preserved archaeological remains, cities in Roman Palestine were somewhat neglected in general discussions on Roman architecture, compared to other regions of the Empire. This book intends to fill in the gap and focuses on one of the most typical monuments of the Roman city - the basilica. With the advance of Roman conquest around the Mediterranean, basilica structures were erected also in the provinces. But how common was the basilica in the peripheral provinces? The adoption and adaptation of the Roman basilica in the Eastern Empire in general and in Roman Palestine, in particular, stand as the main issues discussed in the workshop, whose proceedings are presented in this volume. The primary aim of this workshop and its proceedings is to investigate the roles and architectural layouts of the basilicas in the cities of Roman Palestine with their heterogeneous ethnic and religious makeup. The case studies from Jerusalem, Sepphoris, Hippos-Sussita, and Ashkelon are described and examined against the background of comparanda from Arabia, North Africa, Sicily, and Italy.