A revised date for the mosaic pavements of the church of the Nativity, Bethlehem

The article approaches the question of dating that followed discovery of mosaic pavements below the current flooring of the Church of the Nativity of Bethlehem. In fact the mosaics have been generally assigned to the first half of the 5th century, in contrast to the Constantinian period of the first church’s construction. The author offers a reconsideration of the iconographic programme of the mosaics and the archaeological evidence, which serve as the main determinants of the accepted date, arguing that these are indeed the original Constantinian floors. The significance is that the mosaics are amongst the earliest surviving examples from churches, and confirm a broad continuum from Hellenistic times to early church mosaic decoration in the East. Particular attention is also given to parallels sugggesting that the provenance of the basilica’s mosaicists may very well have been Antioch, since the floors reflect the Antiochene style and technical merit; moreover, literary sources confirm that foreign artisans were employed for Constantine’s church projects in Jerusalem. Antioch is the best candidate as a location from which to seek mosaicists for a prestigious imperial commission.