astern pendentive.--The healing of the
woman with a bloody issue.

27. On the north-eastern pendentive.--The healing of Peter's
mother-in-law.

28. On the south-western pendentive.--The healing of a deaf
and dumb man.

29. On the north-western pendentive.--The healing of two
blind men at Jericho.

30. On the eastern wall below the dome, colossal figures of
Mary and Christ, technically named the Deesis.

31. On the opposite wall.--Christ healing divers diseases.

The mosaics in the three other bays of this narthex depict
scenes in the life of Mary as described in the apocryphal
Protoevangelium of S. James and other apocryphal Gospels.[543]

_First Bay (at northern end).--The North Dome_

32. In the centre.--The Theotokos; in the flutings,
twenty-seven figures arranged in two tiers representing
sixteen royal ancestors of Christ, from David to Salathiel,
and Melchisedec, Ananias, Azarias, Misael, Daniel, Joshua,
Moses, Aaron, Ur, Samuel, Job.

33. In the north-eastern pendentive.--The scene has disappeared.

34. In the south-eastern pendentive.--S. Joachim (Mary's father) with
his sheep in the desert, praying and mourning that his offerings have
been rejected because he was childless.

35. In the north-western pendentive.--The High Priest judging Mary.

36. In the south-western pendentive.--The Annunciation to Mary.

37. In the eastern lunette below the dome.--The Annunciation to S.
Anna, the mother of Mary.

38. On the soffit of the transverse arch between the first and second
bays.--To the east, the meeting of S. Anna and S. Joachim; to the
west, Joseph taking leave of Mary before his home, and proceeding to
his work in another part of the country, accompanied by a servant.

_Second Bay_

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: he heptabematizousa]; 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 en