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

49

The location of this inscription at the south end of room(49) and before room (74) may well indicate that the 'virgins' who probably entered with the rest of the procession,see p. 45 and p.76, [handwritten: and] dropped out into room (74) where they spent the rest of the first part of the service and the whole [handwritten: mark] of the second part, the watch, see p.45. During the third part of the ceremony, they may well have

Handwritten: 342

left room (74) and gone to meet the bridegroom, i.e. the rising sun, probably through the middle door into room(52), see [handwritten: 350] pp. 35-36. Shortly thereafter, this door may have been closed on the [handwritten: ?] 'foolish virgins'.

We have mentioned that the [handwritten: θάλαμος] was probably the frigidarium, room (39) with its adjoining rooms (41,42, and 43). Although the [handwritten: 328] [handwritten: θάλαμος] may have been either room (52) or room (74), the probability that the [handwritten: θάλαμος] is [handwritten: the frigidarium] enhanced by the connection of the 'wise virgins' with baptism and by the baptismal connotations of the word [handwritten: ψωτίσω]

Handwritten: and with Epiphany

There are, at least, three services in which the 'ten virgins' play a prominent role, the Nestorian, the Armenian, and the Greek of Jerusalem. The Armenian as it contains almost no references to baptism or the ceremony of the [handwritten: wa] blessing of the waters is not germain to our purposes. The Greek rite of Jerusalem, since it was part of the celebration of Holy Week [handwritten: 342]

Handwritten: since it was part of the celebration of Holy Week

must have had some connection with baptism or [handwritten: was directly connected]

Handwritten: 343