On 27 August 2010 08:14, Genevra Kornbluth
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medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Dear George et al.,
I am perfectly willing to be corrected about Qal'at Si'man-- I was basing my comment on old memories from grad school and a quick look at the plan, and could easily be wrong.
Old St. Peter's [OSP], however, definitely had its altar in the west. The altar was located above the supposed grave of Peter. There has been a great deal of archaeological and archival scholarship on this church, of course, but I don't think there is any doubt about its occidentation. There is more of a question about early medieval structures thought to be more or less closely patterned on OSP. Occidentation is generally taken as a sign that the builders had OSP in mind, but each case demands its own study.
The easiest access to the literature on OSP would probably be through the scholarship of Richard Krautheimer.
In any case, the theological interpretation of standard church structures was developed over time. Symbolism thought to be self-evident in the thirteenth century may or may not have existed in the fourth or fifth century.
best,
Genevra