The Architecture and Liturgy of the Bema in Fourth-to Sixth-Century Syrian Churches

307 Pages·2012·18.97 MB·English

by  Emma Loosley

The Architecture and Liturgy of the Bema
in Fourth- to Sixth-Century Syrian Churches
Texts and Studies in
Eastern Christianity
Chief Editor
Ken Parry, Macquarie University
Editorial Board
Alessandro Bausi, University of Hamburg
Monica Blanchard, Catholic University of America
Malcolm Choat, Macquarie University
Peter Galadza, Saint Paul University
Victor Ghica, Macquarie University
Emma Loosley, University of Manchester
Basil Lourié, St Petersburg
John McGuckin, Columbia University
Stephen Rapp, Sam Houston State University
Dietmar Winkler, University of Salzburg
VOLUME 1
Texts and Studies in Eastern Christianity is intended to advance the field of Eastern Chris-
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The Architecture and Liturgy of the
Bema in Fourth- to Sixth-Century
Syrian Churches
By
Emma Loosley
LEIDEN • BOSTON
2012
The logo for the TSEC series is based on a 14th century tombstone of the Church of the
East from Quanzhou, South China, courtesy of the Quanzhou Museum of Overseas Com-
munications History.
Originally published in paperback as “The Architecture and Liturgy of the Bema in
Fourth- to-Sixth-Century Syrian Churches” Patrimoine Syriaque – 2.
Parole de l’Orient, Kaslik-Liban 2003.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Loosley, Emma.
 The architecture and liturgy of the bema in fourth- to sixth-century Syrian churches /
by Emma Loosley. — New edition.
  pages cm — (Texts and studies in Eastern Christianity ; v. 1)
 Originally presented as the author’s thesis (doctoral)—University of London, 2001.
 Previously published: Kaslik, Liban : Parole de l’Orient, 2003.
 Includes bibliographical references and index.
 ISBN 978-90-04-23182-5 (hardback : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-90-04-23184-9 (e-book)
 1. Bemas (Architecture)—Syria. 2. Liturgy and architecture—Syria. 3. Architecture,
Early Christian—Syria. 4. Church architecture—Syria. I. Title.
 NA5989.6.L66 2012
 726.5’29—dc23
2012021563
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ISSN 2213-0039
ISBN 978 90 04 23182 5 (hardback)
ISBN 978 90 04 23184 9 (e-book)
Copyright 2012 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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contents v

CONTENTS
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  vii
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   ix
List of Photographs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   xi
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   1
1. The Archaeological Evidence and its Implications . . . . . . . . . . . . .   17
2. Interpreting the Written Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   57
3. The Syrian Liturgy with Reference to the Bema . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   79
Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Appendices

1. List of the Bema Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
2. The Dating of the Bema Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
3. The Distribution Pattern of Bemata: Neighbouring Villages, the
Age of Churches with Bemata, the Age of Stone Bemata . . . . . . . . 127
Photographic Appendices

1. Resafa Pilgrimage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
2. Catalogue of Photographs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
vi contents
contents vii
FOREWORD
It is my great pleasure to write this Foreword to Emma Loosley’s study of
the bema in early Syrian churches. Not only is her study of prime impor-
tance for understanding this architectural feature and its liturgical signifi-
cance, but her book is the first in the series Texts and Studies in Eastern
Christianity. The significance of the bema as a distinctive aspect of church
architecture and liturgical activity in Syrian churches has long fascinated
scholars of early Christianity. However, the positioning and purpose of this
nave-platform has not been properly assessed from an interdisciplinary
point of view, and that is what Emma Loosley sets out to do in her study.
It is quite clear from her research that a distinct number of churches with
bemata are located in the limestone massif of north-western Syria, indicat-
ing that local factors were important in determining its installation and
function. She also dispels the idea that the bema was exclusive to the non-
Chalcedonian churches when there is evidence for its appearance prior to
the theological controversies of the fifth century and among different East-
ern Christian communities. The catalogue of photographs of the bema
churches of Syria provides the reader with an indispensable dossier of
references that will be much valued by those interested in this particular
liturgical furnishing. Unfortunately, as in the case of other developing coun-
tries with early Christian monuments, many of these Syrian churches may
be lost to archaeologists and scholars in the future.
Ken Parry
Macquarie University
viii contents
contents ix
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
There are many people to thank for the completion of this thesis. First
I would like thank my initial supervisor Dr. Andrew Palmer, former lec-
turer in Eastern Christianity at SOAS for inspiring me to begin this research
and setting me out on the right path. Without his introduction into the
Syrian Orthodox Church none of this work would have been possible. Sec-
ondly I must acknowledge the assistance of Mr. Simon Weightman, former
head of the Department for the Study of Religions at the School of Oriental
and African Studies, University of London, for taking over my formal su-
pervision within the department. Special thanks must go to Dr. Sebastian
Brock at the Oriental Institute, University of Oxford, for help given beyond
the call of duty.
Many people have given their time and expertise over the course of this
research. Of the numerous academics kind enough to answer my queries
Dr. Erich Renhart of the University of Graz, Austria, and Dr. Erica Hunter,
University of Cambridge, were particularly helpful with their advice. In
Syria countless people have offered assistance but this PhD has been com-
pleted largely thanks to the invaluable help of the Syrian Orthodox Church.
His Grace Grigorios Yohanna Ibrahim, Metropolitan of Aleppo offered
hospitality and found me an excellent Syriac tutor in Fr. Antoine Deliapo.
Of my many Syrian friends Fr. Antoine, Farida Boulos and Samir Katerji
offered invaluable help in many ways.
Financially this would not have been possible without grants from the
British Academy (AHRB), the Seven Pillars of Wisdom Trust, the Louis H.
Jordan Travelling Research Fellowship, the British Institute at Amman for
Archaeology and History and the Worshipful Company of Mercers.
Finally the real heroes were my parents Brian and Chris Loosley for
bailing me out of the many crises, both financial and otherwise, along the
way.