Preliminary Material -- Introduction -- The Archaeological Evidence and its Implications -- Interpreting the Written Sources -- The Syrian Liturgy with Reference to the Bema -- Conclusion -- List of the Bema -- The Dating of the Bema -- The Distribution Pattern of Bemata -- Resafa Pilgrimage -- Catalogue of Photographs -- Bibliography -- Index
Summary
In fourth to sixth century Syria a nave-platform known as the Bema became popular in some regions before mysteriously disappearing; this study seeks to explain how these bemata functioned and which elements led to their decline
