Kourion Complex Palace (Mosaics) Fales, c. 1955 (1 of 2)De C. Fales (probably)

48

Church and of the heavenly life, in as much as they are the souls, [handwritten: Τὰς ἐν ἀπάσαις ταῖς ἀρέταις τῆς τελειώσεως] while the foolish [handwritten: xxx] virgins remain outside the door, unworthy [handwritten: 327] of the bridal chamber.

In a number of the ceremonies in which the 'ten virgins' [handwritten: 329] take part and in two of their pictorial representations, a door is either shown or is metaphorically or actually a [handwritten: 330] necessary adjunct. In an Armenian ceremony, in a Nestorian, [handwritten: 331] and in a [handwritten: xxx] Greek, there is a door and that door is the [handwritten: 332] door of the heavenly bridal chamber of Christ and the gate to heaven. In a Greek rite celebrated at Jerusalem, [handwritten: 333] hymn of Methodius, and in the Nestorian ceremony, there is [handwritten: 334] mentioned the fight against the devil. In Methodius' con- [handwritten: 335] cluding dialogue of the 'ten virgins', there is the [handwritten: xxxx] soul directing the boat, [handwritten: xxx] i.e. the flesh into the harbor of [handwritten: ἐνφράσυνη ; in the Greek ceremony of Jerusalem,] [handwritten: 336] there occurs the phrase, [handwritten: Καὶ νῦν, Ξὲ καὶ τεῖχος καὶ λιμένα] [handwritten: 337] The Nestorian rite is called without any explanation "Ankunft [handwritten: 338] im Hafen", and it is prayed that Vater, Sohn und Hl.Geist seien uns der hohe Wall. [handwritten: 339] In [handwritten: in] one of the dialogues of Methodius, the virgins actually prepare to fight the [handwritten: xxxx] demon, and in a Manichean [handwritten: 340] psalm, to board the ship. There is thus no inconsistency be- [handwritten: 341] tween this inscription at the south end of room(49) but [handwritten: and that before the door] rather [handwritten: xxx] positive indications of possible relationships.

Stamp: Typed/handwritten marginal note at top right: "Fagnes 1 ... "