Tepper, Yotam ， Maayan-Fanar, Emma
2025-01-02 TEL AVIV-JOURNAL OF THE INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY OF TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY 2025 52(卷), 1(期), (127-154页)
This paper re-examines a unique, badly damaged stone relief depicting a human figure, discovered in an isolated building in the agricultural area near Shivta. Originally mentioned briefly by Baumgarten in his survey of Shivta's vicinity, the stone is analysed here for its possible iconography and context. We propose that the relief may represent a woman with a child, potentially alluding to the motif of the Nursing Mother or possibly even the type of Maria Galaktotrophousa, common in the early Byzantine period, particularly in Egypt. The peculiar stone prompts a re-evaluation of the building, traditionally considered a farmhouse. We suggest that this and other buildings in the agricultural area, some adorned with prominent Christian symbols, could have served a distinct ecclesiastic or monastic function. This unique relic from the Byzantine era, despite its simplicity and damage, offers significant insights to the Christian way of life in this desert region.