BSY_FB_16-71

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Domestic architecture. The larger houses of Dier Sambil are
of the villa type seen at Khirbet Ḥâṣṣ and Ruwêḥā
but the rooms of the ground story are larger.

One fine large house on the top of the slope, well
to the west is richly decorated in front. Its
windows are large and well moulded. Only one
of the 2 ground story rooms is arched. At the north
end is a narrow passage which may have
contained a staircase. The colonnades of this house
have fallen. Other houses have two story
colonnades still preserved in part and large courtyards
with vestibuled entrances of the common type.

There is also a very interesting variety of smaller
houses grouped about a square columned court.
One of these shows an transverse in the upper
story but none in the lower. Still another has
large round topped and moulded windows in the second
floor and a well carved portal in the wall of the
courtyard (to the E.) One of the larger houses has
the Agnus Dei made famous by de Vogüé. This is carved
beside the door of the upper story that led out upon
the upper colonnade.