Reading between the tesserae: The Tabgha mosaics’ stages, patronage, and authenticity re-examined

The Tabgha mosaics, adorning the floor of a basilica dated between the 5^th and 7^th centuries near the Sea of Galilee, have been a frequent subject of scholarly discourse. Nevertheless, many unsettled issues surrounding the pavements, such as palaeographic differences in inscriptions commemorating their patrons, unidentified Byzantine-repaired mosaic sections, and modern restorations, have yet to be investigated. These unexplored matters render the stages and authenticity of the Tabgha mosaic insufficiently established. This study examines the phases of the Tabgha pavements during the Byzantine period through an in-depth analysis of their stylistic features while considering the modern repairs. The author concludes that significant evidence was removed from the floors during an early 20^th century restoration. By carefully ‘reading’ between the tesserae of the Tabgha mosaics, this study illuminates small and scarcely noticeable details that make it possible to distinguish three Byzantine mosaic stages and to evaluate the individual contributions of the patrons to the pavements.