Abstract
AbstractChapter 4 continues the archaeological case studies by turning to sanctuaries where inscriptions ended up as spolia, that is, reused building material. While the use of spolia has sometimes been viewed as a triumphalist act heralding the victory of Christianity, the way that inscribed blocks were reused in churches and, in one case, a synagogue does not support such an interpretation. Nor did builders completely ignore inscriptions when they appropriated them as building material: at several sites, inscriptions were clearly taken into account during the construction process, even if their pagan content was moderated in some way, such as through scrambling or hiding. This chapter investigates the construction decisions that resulted in the protection or display of inscribed spolia and the ways these texts intersected with local identity formation.
Publisher
Oxford University PressNew York
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