Limestone Funeral Stone (03.050.1)

Byzantine Period 324-638CE
This stone was excavated from the cemetery attached to the Byzantine Church of Saint Lot, nephew of the patriarch Abraham. The ruins of the church are located on the south east side of the Dead Sea. This funeral stone having Jewish theme and icons is a rare example of how Old Testament epics were venerated and pilgrimages to traditional locations by the early Christians. The church of Saint Lot is represented on the Madaba map, a mosaic on the floor of a Byzantine church in Madaba, Jordan. It dates to the 6th century CE and is called the church of Saint George.