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

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… the majority. The arrangement and interrelation [handwritten: the lateral collocation] of these frames, except for that of the rabbit, [handwritten: pursued by] [handwritten: and] the hound, was not given in the publication.

We have examined the mosaics of the baths at Kourion and those at Narlidja and find that they may both be interpreted as settings for baptism and that the symbolism of the floor mosaics is what one would expect the floor mosaics of a baptistery to portray, as evidenced by a comparison with the floor mosaics of an actual baptistery. Xhexxixxixrxyxøxxhe mosaixxixxmxxxxx Nor in the light of the other evidence, is this use of baths for baptism, something out of the ordinary. In addition to the conflation of terms between baths and baptisteries [handwritten: 653] etc, the similarity of the mosaics in the bath at Serdjilla with those in the church at Kabr-Hiram, the crosses carved in the blocks of the bath at Salona, the cross in the center of the description of the dome in the bath of John of Gaza all suggest some connection with Christianity, probably, that of baptism.

In the future in interpreting mosaics found in baths built in the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries, it would be well to consider the possibility of a connection with baptism. Such a search might confirm or deny the hypothesis herein postulated, and in any case would bring into clearer focus, the relationship ship between baths and Christianity.