Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 29.djvu/163

reliquary of the usual bolster form, and a fair painting of the Blessed Virgin and Child. Upstairs, on either side of the nave, and partly opening into it, are two chapels, respectively of Mari Girgis and the Melek Michaeel. In the latter the wooden covering of the Sacred Elements, which is placed over the central altar-groove, is decorated on all its four sides with paintings of unusual merit, that of the Lord's Supper in particular being executed with considerable care and spirit.

V. Dayr Abou Eer wa Hanna, sometimes called Dayr Teodrús.

Churches of these names are both enclosed within the same ancient wall, of which the oldest part is of dark red brick, and the more modern of the same red brick intermixed with pieces of roughly-faced limestone. This convent is reputed to be of great antiquity. Each establishment is entered by an extremely low door, opening from a common courtyard.

Abou Eer wa Hanna.^[1] This church, though a comparatively humble structure, contains a great number of valuable and curious articles.

The central chapel, dedicated to Abou Eer and Abou Hanna, has its niche adorned with the often-repeated figure of our Lord in Glory, upon a gold ground and surrounded by saints. In the left-hand chapel, that of Sitt Miriam (our Lady Mary), are two ancient silver censers of elegant design, three or four sets of brazen cymbals, and a brass corona, not now in use. I was also shown here the vessels for the celebration of the Lord's Supper. They consist of a plain massive chalice of silver, a plain silver paten, and a silver spoon, inscribed with an Arabic inscription. In the paten are two small hoops of silver, joined in the middle crosswise, and used to place under the square napkin-covering over the Consecrated Bread. In the right hand chapel, that of Mari Girgis, are several brass candlesticks, a silver censer, partly gilt, two silver hand-crosses, and two silver hand-ornaments, resembling fans with circular tops, on each of which a cherub is represented in relief. Here, likewise, is preserved a superb silver-gilt gospel-case