Princeton Expeditions to Syria (1899, 1904-1905, 1909)

Khirbet Ḥâṣṣ March 23, 1900

These extensive ruins comprise a fine group of large private residences which de Vogüé calls villas, a large church much ruined and a large building of irregular plan at a short distance from the town. There are almost no small structures. The town seems to have been only a place of residence for the wealthy. All the buildings seem to belong to about the same epoch as all are built in one style - a fine example of decorated quadrated.

Church. The church stands on the northern side of the town. It is of the simple plan common in the district, with the curve of the apse concealed. This much ruined but all the parts are to be found in the debris. (see plan on opp. page) - The ornament is of high order with rich Corinthian caps ^(see photo)^, and finely moulded arches. The columns are monolithic as are the engaged columns which flanked the arch of the apse. Just before the apse are fragments of a fine mosaic that occupied the space before the altar. This design

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was a rich pattern of borders and squares in various colors about a central oblong space occupied by the four peacocks, in rich colors, standing back to back with tails crossed.

The extreme width of the peacock space is four m by 60 cm depth. The technique of the mosaic is of the finest, the colors are varied and soft.

To the south of the church is a cloister court bounded on the east by a large baptistry and other chapels and on the south and west by a massive wall built of ancient pagan grave stele. This of older material at so early a period is very interesting. De Vogüé claims to have seen the remains of a pagan temple in or beneath the church but we were unable to find any. Before the western portal of the church was a commodious enclosed narthex extending the entire width of the building.

At the other end of the town is a complex building with three divisions - those on either side are like small chapels with grouped windows in the east wall and that between with a story below the

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Serdjilla March 24 to 26, 1900

This is one of the most important sites visited by de Vogüé - from here he published a number of important buildings.

The ruins consist chiefly of large and fine villas but there is a small church with other ecclesiastical buildings, a most interesting bath, of small scale but perfectly preserved, and a collection of small houses of the poorer class.

Church. This is situated near the center of the town which is built on two sides of a wadi sloping toward the southeast. It is on the eastern slope. Only the ground plan can be traced. The apse is curved and is concealed. The whole east end is partly cut into the slope and the west end built upon the very edge of the rock which falls several feet to a lower level. South of the church is a small cloister with a baptistry and several little chapels, one of which was converted into a Weli with Mihrâb to the south.

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The main room measures about 24ft. x 44. It has large square topped windows high in the wall on both sides and smaller round topped windows in the gable ends. Across its western end ran a colonnade of 4 columns supporting a balcony with balustrated ^ panels ^ and posts of stone. This is entirely thrown down.

Mosaic. Uncovering the pavement of this grand hall we found - what de Vogüé failed to see - a fine mosaic, excellently preserved, of the finest execution in various subdued colors. The parts which we uncovered revealed a large circle in the center between the colonnade and the E wall, The circle contained a fine GK inscription executed in black on a white ground (WKP GK insc. 172) giving the name of the man and wife who built the bath and the date of the building 472 A.D. To the east of the circle is a pomegranate tree and in the angles and either sides, spirited designs representing combats of wild beasts. In the S.E angle a lion devouring a wild ass, in the N.E. angle, a tiger attacking a gazelle,

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Bâra March 25, 1900 to April 1, 1900

This ruin has been sometimes called the Pompeii of the East. It was a very extensive city as may be seen from the ruins but most of the large buildings have been greatly destroyed. A number of well-defined streets remain that give it the resemblance to Pompeii.

Tombs. It is most famous for its pyramidal tombs which exist in a wonderful state of preservation and form landmarks of peculiar beauty among the ancient olive groves.

no I. The largest of these tombs - published and restored by de Vogüé - has lost its great pyramid but it is a monument of great beauty still. It was practically in three stories - one under the surface, and two in the cubical building. These stories are marked on the exterior by a moulding - the lower story is broken only by the doorway, the upper by two windows on each face.

The ornament is of great richness and is like a semiclassical treatment of Byzantine style The carving represents flowering acanthus leaves