Animals Carved in Stone: Symbols or References to Daily Realities in Byzantine Shivta

This study explores the political, religious, cultural, agricultural, and dietary developments in Shivta, a Byzantine Negev Desert village, during the fifth and sixth centuries CE. This era is understood as a period of prosperity and the flourishing of Christianity that preceded the transition to Islam. As an archaeological site, Shivta is renowned for its wall paintings and architectural stone carvings, with many examples still on-site in the present day. Among the diverse motifs depicted in stone are zoomorphic figures, most especially birds and fish. These particular figures are often viewed as either ornamental, or interpreted within a Christian symbolic framework. The present study suggests that the depiction of specific bird species (particularly pigeons) align with one of the Shivta villagers' primary economic activities-the maintenance of dovecotes. Likewise, the choice to depict certain fish species, grapevines, and other identifiable fruit, may reflect the villagers' dietary habits. The architectural decorations thus appear to represent standard religious symbolism that is intertwined with everyday local activities. The proximity of these motifs to images of crosses and rosettes places them within an ecclesiastical context.