If you think “nave” is an insult and “narthex” sounds like a disease, you had better read Yoram Tsafrir’s “Ancient Churches in the Holy Land,” which explains and illustrates these and other parts of church architecture. Far from being a dry architectural glossary, however, Tsafrir’s article explores the reasons and meanings behind the development of Byzantine churches. We see how the form of these churches reflected the rise of Christianity and its special needs. And we learn the answers to some mystifying questions: Why did churches change from humble housechurches to grand basilicas? Why do they have an apse? […]
