E02341: A niche at the entrance to the 'episcopal complex' of Gerasa/Jerash (Jordan/Roman province of Arabia) has painted inscriptions, with the names of *Mary (Mother of Christ, S00033), and of the Archangels *Michael (S00181) and *Gabriel (S00192). Probably 5th c. or later.

An arched niche (c. 1.60 m high, 1.15 m wide, and 0.60 m deep), carved in a stone block (c. 4.10 m high, 4.30 m wide) in the outer wall of the apse of the so-called cathedral of the episcopal complex in Jerash, and facing all visitors approaching the complex up the stairway from the main street of the city, bears the names of Mary and the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, painted in red on the archivolt of its semi-dome (letter height: 0.02 m).

Μιχαήλ ἡ ἁγία Μαρία Γαβριήλ

'Michael' 'The Holy Mary' 'Gabriel'

Text: I. Gerasa, no. 288.


The niche was partially damaged and subsequently restored during the excavations. It seems that it was covered by a grill and an image of Mary with the Archangels might have been displayed on its wall or semidome, as traces of three painted figures were recognisable on the conch. A hypothetical restoration of the niche was presented in the classic study of Jerash by Carl Kraeling.

The date of the creation of the niche is not clear. We do not know whether it was contemporary with the construction of the cathedral church (whose chronology is also blurred, but which might date to the late 4th c.), or was made later, in the late 5th or 6th. It is also impossible to say whether the painted inscription was added at the same time as the niche's construction.

For a possibly similar niche in the outer wall of an apse, see the comments and images in: E01832 (inside the ambulatory of the cathedral church of Apamea in Syria).