39. In the eastern lunette.--The birth of Mary.
40. In the western lunette.--Joseph receiving the rod which marks him the successful suitor for Mary's hand, and taking her as his bride-elect.
41. In the vault.--To the east, Mary held in the arms of S. Joachim, receiving the blessing of three priests seated at a banquet; to the west, the child Mary caressed by her parents. This scene shows much feeling.
42. On the soffit of the transverse arch.--To the east, Mary taking her first seven steps [Greek: hê heptabêmatizousa]; to the west, the high priest praying before the rods, one of which, by blossoming, will designate the future husband of Mary.
43. On the eastern wall, to the north of the main entrance into the church.--The Apostle Peter with the keys in his hand.
44. In the lunette over the main entrance to the church.--Theodore Metochites on his knees offering the church to Christ seated on a throne. The legend [Greek: ho ktêtôr logothetês tou gennikou Theodôros ho Metochitês].[544]
[Illustration: PLATE XCI. _Sebah and Joaillier._ (1) S. SAVIOUR IN THE CHORA. MOSAIC REPRESENTING THE REGISTRATION OF JOSEPH AND MARY AT BETHLEHEM. _Sebah and Joaillier._ (2) S. SAVIOUR IN THE CHORA. MOSAIC REPRESENTING THEODORE METOCHITES OFFERING THE CHURCH TO CHRIST. _To face page 326._]
45. In the western lunette.--Mary receiving purple and scarlet wool to weave in the veil of the temple.
46. In the vault.--On the east, Mary admitted to the Holy of Holies when three years of age, lest she should go back to the world; on the west, the procession of maidens escorting Mary to the temple.
47. The third transverse arch.--To the east, Mary in the temple receiving bread from the archangel Gabriel; to the west, Mary in the temple receiving instruction.
48. On the eastern wall, to the south side of the main entrance to the church.--The Apostle Paul.
[Illustration: FIG. 115.--MODEL OF THE CHURCH OF S. SAVIOUR IN THE CHORA.]
The scenes represented on these mosaics are not peculiar to this church, but are a selection from cycles of subjects which from the eleventh century became favourite themes for pictorial treatment on the walls of important churches in the Byzantine world. Several of these scenes are found portrayed also at Daphni, Mistra, S. Sophia at Kiev, in the churches of Mt. Athos, on diptychs and manuscripts,[545] as well as in the chapel of the arena at Padua. The cycle of subjects taken from the life of Mary was developed mainly in Syria, and Schmitt[546] goes so far as to maintain that the mosaics of the Chora are copies of Syrian mosaics executed by a Syrian artist, when the church was restored in the ninth century by Michael Syncellus, who, it will be remembered, came from Syria.