From Wilderness to Paradise: A Sixth-Century Mosaic Pavement at Qasr el-Lebia in Cyrenaica, Libya

An in-depth study of the large mosaic pavement in the East Church at Qasr el-Lebia in Cyrenaica, Libya. Consisting of fifty panels, each panel with a different image, it has frequently been dismissed as random with no overarching scheme. This book argues that the remarkably rich and complex mosaic should be understood as a coherent w

From Wilderness to Paradise presents an in-depth study of the large mosaic pavement in the East Church at Qasr el-Lebia in Cyrenaica, Libya. The pavement, which survives almost in its entirety, consists of fifty panels, each containing a different image. Despite being described as ‘the finest and most interesting set of Christian mosaics yet found in Libya’ (Illustrated London News, December 1957), subsequent studies have generally dismissed the pavement as a random selection of images with no symbolic meaning and no overarching scheme. This book argues that the remarkably rich and complex mosaic should be understood as a coherent whole. A discussion about reading imagery in Late Antiquity precedes a meticulous iconographical study. Within the pavement’s overall coherence, the grid layout allows the panels to be read in different directions, rather like a crossword puzzle, their meaning shifting with each change of focus. Particular attention is paid to small groups of images related either by subject matter or location, and the discussion shows how the placement of certain panels impacts the surrounding imagery, giving meaning over and above the significance of individual motifs. The iconographical study concludes by considering the mosaic from the viewpoint of those moving across the pavement and the phenomenological responses this interaction may have elicited. It suggests that as the images passed fleetingly underfoot, a journey unfurled and one was led from a chaotic oceanic wilderness in the east, to a more orderly paradisiacal world further west.

1. Introduction Overview of the Mosaics The Large Mosaic Pavement Pavements in the Northeast Annex and Sanctuary Northeast Annex Sanctuary Dating 2. Cyrenaica Geographical Context Christianity in Cyrenaica The Archaeological Site at Qasr el-Lebia West Church East Church 3. Reading the Mosaic Pavement Imagery and Literature in Late Antiquity Varietas Layout of the pavement 4. Iconographic Analysis Ocean and Nile Personifications - Kosmesis, Ktitis and Ananeosis The Rivers of Paradise Kastalia and the Eagle A Musician, a Leopard and a Satyr Architectural Representations Two-by-Two 5. Overall Programme The Journey: Wilderness to Paradise Wilderness Paradise 6. Architectural Setting and Hypotheses Architectural Setting Hypothesis 1: The Large Mosaic as the Pavement of part of an Episcopium Hypothesis 2: The Large Pavement as Part of a Baptismal Complex Conclusion Bibliography Index,

1. Introduction

Overview of the Mosaics

The Large Mosaic Pavement

Pavements in the Northeast Annex and Sanctuary

Northeast Annex

Sanctuary

Dating

2. Cyrenaica

Geographical Context

Christianity in Cyrenaica

The Archaeological Site at Qasr el-Lebia

West Church

East Church

3. Reading the Mosaic Pavement

Imagery and Literature in Late Antiquity

Varietas

Layout of the pavement

4. Iconographic Analysis

Ocean and Nile

Personifications - Kosmesis, Ktitis and Ananeosis

The Rivers of Paradise

Kastalia and the Eagle

A Musician, a Leopard and a Satyr

Architectural Representations

Two-by-Two

5. Overall Programme

The Journey: Wilderness to Paradise

Wilderness

Paradise

6. Architectural Setting and Hypotheses

Architectural Setting

Hypothesis 1: The Large Mosaic as the Pavement of part of an Episcopium

Hypothesis 2: The Large Pavement as Part of a Baptismal Complex

Conclusion

Bibliography

Index

Dr Jane Chick is an associate at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, and is honorary editor of Mosaic, the journal of the Association for the Study and Preservation of Roman Mosaics (ASPROM). She has published articles on mosaics from Libya, Cyprus and Tunisia.

• By (author) Jane Chick

'Chick’s interpretative exercise thus takes the reader on a fascinating journey, as she pieces together potential meanings in order to reconstruct the mosaic’s experiencing by newly baptised Christians, under the guidance of local clerics who would have revealed to them the Christian symbolism of the scenes and of the overall programme. While the range of meanings available to us is limited by the extant sources, making it thus impossible to ascertain all potential interpretations, Chick’s effort is worthwhile since late antique viewers, too, would only have been able to grasp part of the meanings. The book thus has the great merit of drawing attention to the varied interpretations of Justinianic art by members of the lay audience; a dimension in need of further attention, since most scholarship to date focused on understanding this art through the prism of the erudite but small intelligentsia of the time. Thus, the book will hopefully serve as a model for future analyses of late antique art, to shed further light on the polysemy that represented one of its main features.' – Vladimir Ivanovici (2025): Plekos 27

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‘Jane Chick presents a welcome introduction to an important mosaic ensemble that is not easily accessible. A particularly strong point is the many excellent colour photos – a total of 166, most credited to the author. … C. concludes by stating that many unanswered questions remain. Hopefully the visual evidence presented here will stimulate interest in the mosaics and the church.’ - Bente Kiilerich (2026): GNOMON Volume 98, Issue 1

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