6. See F i n a l R e p o r t , VIII, 1, pp. 14, 169, and Plan IV.
D A T E S A N D D A T I N G 39
— w o u l d be i m p o r t a n t for the interpretation of the decorations of the B a p t i s t e r y , for t h e y w o u l d i n this case belong t o t h e same general period that produced at D u r a also the paintings of the L a t e r Synagogue, those of the L a t e M i t h r a e u m a n d the latest among the additions to the decorations of the pronaos of the Temple of B e l .1 I t is this large b o d y of m a t e r i a l w i t h w h i c h the paintings of the Christian B a p t i s t e r y w o u l d t h e n properly a n d i n the first instance need t o be compared.
O n this analysis of dates a n d dating, t h e Christian B u i l d i n g of D u r a served the purposes of a domus e c c l e s i a e o n l y for a relatively short time, not more t h a n from ten t o fifteen years at the utmost.
T h a t those who i n t h e days of G o r d i a n , or of P h i l i p at the latest, took such care t o create at D u r a a n instrument of Christian congregational use should have h a d their w o r k come t o naught so r a p i d l y , is a fate t h e y shared w i t h t h e represen-tatives of the l o c a l J e w i s h c o m m u n i t y a n d w i t h the devotees of M i t h r a s , indeed w i t h a l l those who at D u r a u n t i l i t s b i t t e r end continued i n unbroken l o y a l t y to the immensa majestas pads Romanae.
i . For the Synagogue see F i n a l R e p o r t , VIII, i ; for the Late Mitraeum see R e p . V I I - V I I I , pp. 104-116; for the late scenes from the Temple of Bel see Cumont, F o u i l l e s , pp. 74-120, and Rostovtzeff, D u r a - E u r o p o s a n d i t s A r t , pp. 73L
I . E X T E N T A N D P R E S E R V A T I O N
E v i d e n c e of painted m u r a l decoration came to light i n the Christian B u i l d i n g only i n the B a p -tistery ( R o o m 6); indeed, the discovery of the scenes p o r t r a y e d on the walls of this r o o m was what first established the i d e n t i t y of the structure.
There is no ground for beheving that any other part of the b u i l d i n g was ever similarly adorned.
T h e interior of room 5 never received the coating of plaster needed to provide a surface for m u r a l decoration, a n d no traces of color were found either u p o n the standing remains of the twice-plastered walls of the Assembly H a l l (Room 4) or upon fragments of its plaster fallen from the walls a n d found on the floor of the room. It being idle to speculate what the local Christian com-m u n i t y com-m i g h t have done to ecom-mbellish also the Assembly H a l l i f its existence h a d not been cut short b y its destruction of the c i t y , the presump-t i o n is permissible presump-thapresump-t i presump-t h a d ipresump-ts own underspresump-tand- understand-i n g of w h understand-i c h rooms to decorate a n d w h y . F r o m the thoroughness w i t h w h i c h i t decorated the B a p -tistery, leaving not a square centimeter of ceiling a n d w a l l surface above the p l i n t h unembellished, while a p p l y i n g not a brush stroke to the A s s e m b l y H a l l , i t w o u l d seem to follow that for the Christians of D u r a the r o o m devoted to the performance of the i n i t i a t o r y r i t e h a d a character a n d importance not shared b y the A s s e m b l y H a l l .
F o r t u n e has p l a y e d its usual double role of give a n d take i n connection w i t h the decorations of the B a p t i s t e r y . T h e fact that m u c h of the r o o m was entombed i n the embankments along the c i t y w a l l , as explained above, was the occasion for the preservation of those elements of the decoration that remain. V i c e versa, the extent to which the walls were demolished, that is to the line of the gradient of the embankments, is the measure of what is l o s t .1 W h a t was preserved or can be k n o w n
1. See above, p. 6. The gradient of the embankments is indicated on Plan VII, Section II; see also Plan II.
The fact that the breakage line is higher on the south wall of the Baptistery than on the north derives from the
w i t h some degree of assurance includes three elements. T h e first a n d most i m p o r t a n t is slightly more t h a n the half of the w a l l decoration presen-t i n g p i c presen-t o r a l composipresen-tions. T h e second is presen-the decorative ornament applied to the canopy over the font. T h e t h i r d is the design used to embellish the ceiling of the room.
W h i l e the preservation of so m u c h of the m u r a l decoration of the B a p t i s t e r y is a stroke of good fortune, i t must be added that the c o n d i t i o n i n which the painted surfaces were found was gen-erally l a m e n t a b l y b a d a n d most difficult to cope w i t h . T h e w o r k m e n engaged i n the erection of the first embankment acted under orders to preserve the fabric of the structures affected, a n d hence incorporated the canopy of the font i n their m u d b r i c k construction, b u t they h a d of necessity to p u l l d o w n the ceiling of the B a p t i s t e r y , fragments of whose p a i n t e d plaster were therefore found on the floor of the room under the embankment, so that c o n t i n u i t y and solidity of their embankment might be assured. Those who erected the second embankment and, h a v i n g unroofed the buildings, demolished the house walls to the gradient of their o w n construction, n a t u r a l l y gave no con-sideration to the preservation of a n y t h i n g , l e t t i n g decorated plaster surfaces of walls crack a n d shear off as t h e y would. Meanwhile, as the b r i c k w o r k of the first embankment d r i e d out, i t appears not to have g i v e n full support to the canopy over the font a n d the pressure of the masses above cracked the canopy a n d the decorated surface of the w a l l behind i t . T h e decorated surfaces of the B a p t i s t e r y , as t h e y came to light i n the excavation, were, therefore, a mass of fragments loosely held i n position against the walls of w h i c h they h a d once been part, or pressed out at various angles from the walls i n t o the fill beside them. Before these pieces could be cleaned a n d protectively coated, they needed to lose their n a t u r a l dampness a n d i n height to which the rubble construction was carried up in the south wall to frame the door openings.
40
O R G A N I Z A T I O N , T E C H N I Q U E , A N D P A L E T T E 41
the period of w a i t i n g some fell from their places a n d were either fragmented or destroyed. F i n a l l y , exposure to even a subdued light brought about the r a p i d fading of some of the colors, a n d the fugitive nature of the binder originally used reduced the colors to t h i n films of pigment adhering loosely to the plaster a n d threatening to rub or blow off at a n y t i m e .
I t is obvious t h a t these circumstances presented the excavators w i t h enormous problems. Unfor-t u n a Unfor-t e l y , aUnfor-t Unfor-the Unfor-t i m e a n d place of Unfor-the discovery even the simplest of the materials needed to m a k e the most of a difficult situation were not always available. T h a t the p i c t o r i a l compositions of the B a p t i s t e r y , upon w h i c h its importance for the h i s t o r y of Christian art depends, d i d deteriorate noticeably between the t i m e when they were first
l a i d bare a n d when they could be removed from their place o n the walls of the room, is evident from the difference between those few pictures that could be a n d were t a k e n i m m e d i a t e l y upon the r e m o v a l of the earth from about the plaster, a n d those that were t a k e n after the compositions were removed a n d prepared for shipment.1 T h a t t h e y have continued to fade d u r i n g the t h i r t y years since their installation i n the Y a l e Gallery of F i n e A r t s at N e w H a v e n is equally clear a n d unavoidable. T h e a m a z i n g t h i n g is how m u c h the excavators were able to preserve a n d record under the circumstances w h i c h t h e y faced, a n d h o w m u c h can be k n o w n w i t h relative assurance about the decorations as the B a p t i s t e r y artist executed t h e m more t h a n seventeen hundred years ago.
II. O R G A N I Z A T I O N , T E C H N I Q U E , A N D P A L E T T E
F r o m the p u r e l y f o r m a l point of view the decorations of the D u r a B a p t i s t e r y are quite i n accord w i t h what is k n o w n about religious w a l l p a i n t i n g generally i n the c i t y .2 T h e y follow a long-established l o c a l t r a d i t i o n suggesting that the most i m p o r t a n t p a r t of a religious edifice should be embellished b y w a l l p a i n t i n g , a n d adopt the t y p i c a l c o m b i n a t i o n of p i c t o r i a l compositions a n d ornamental designs for this purpose. T h e y single out one w a l l of the decorated chamber to serve as a focal area a n d devote this to a single composition.
T h e y divide the other walls of the r o o m horizontally i n t o registers b y formal framing devices and present in these registers successive i n d i v i d u a l scenes.
T h a t the Christians of D u r a should thus have accomodated themselves to local usage i n the w a y they organized the decorations of their B a p t i s t e r y a n d i n the types of materials used is b y no means strange. T h e J e w i s h c o m m u n i t y of the c i t y d i d the same i n t h e i r Synagogue.3 Organization and
1. See e.g. Pis. X X X V I and X X V , showing the con-trast between an early photograph of the disciples in the boat in the scene of the Walking on the Water, and a later photograph.
2. For a convenient chronological list of the painted