Here is a gazetteer of Bacchic iconography taken from The Pagan Image of Greco-Roman Palestine and Surrounding Lands by Pau Figueras:
Tel Abil (IG 281-731). City of the Roman Decapolis. In tombs of a nearby necropolis, there are paintings of mythological animals; a fresco showing Hermes leading the deceased to the Underworld; a sacrificial scene with an altar and the feet of a Satyr; Dionysian symbols combined with rosettes, dolphins and busts of unknown deities.9 One tomb has two sculptured lions and two female Sphinxs at the entrance.
Achziv Gr. Ekdippon. Other interesting objects include a sculpted limestone mask with Pan’s head, a pottery figurine representing Dionysus sustained by a Satyr, and a finger ring depicting a dancing Dionysus with thyrsus and panther. A relief on a Roman sarcophagus shows the deceased’s bust flanked by two rosettes and two winged Erotes holding torches.
Ashkelon. Other pagan elements on the sarcophagi include a symbolic fight between lions and bulls and bull masks (bucrania) An interesting sculptured slab, possibly from a lintel, has the relief of two mythological figures. One is Pan inside a pointed oval, the other probably Dionysus among vine leaves and grapes.
Boukolonpolis (IG 194-734). Hellenistic city, named after the “Boukoloi” which conducted sacred rites in honor of Dionysus in his bull-form.
Capitolias (Jordan) Some coins feature Dionysus holding thyrsus and oinochoe, at times accompanied by a panther.
Kibbutz Erez, near Gaza (IG 159-607). In the kibbutz premises, fragmentary mosaic depicting part of Dionysus’ procession (pompe), with possible eschatological significance.
Gadara. Dionysus and his retinue were represented in a monument on the main street. Together with the marble head of a Dionysus’ statue, presently preserved in Jerusalem. Also fragmentary statues of a Bacchant and a Satyr were recovered. Another basalt sarcophagus is decorated with reliefs of Atargatis (?) among vine branches and grape bunches.
Gerasa, (IG 284-687). City of the Roman Decapolis on the Chrysorhoa river. A number of Greek inscriptions mentioning gods and temples were found among the ruins indicating the worship of Artemis, Tyche, Dusares-Dionysus, Zeus, the Heroes. There was a temple-theatre north of the city. A limestone figure of an eagle with a snake around its leg and looking at its face does not represent the typical fight between those two animals (a symbol of the fight of underground forces against the visible cosmos). The identification of Dusares with Dionysus gave occasion to an annual celebration of the “miracle of Cana” in the fountain of its West court. In the so-called Mosaic of Muses and Poets (third century CE), those figures were represented in the four sides of the frame accompanied by Erotes, Seasons, garlands and birds, while the central subject was the Bacchic procession, with Dionysus, Satyrs and Maenads. The dedication on a portrait-statue of an Agorothetes of Gerasa was made by a trade union of Dionysus’ technitae, probably referring to actors and artists. There are also pottery lamps with the depiction of Dionysus leaning on his thyrsus and holding an oinochoe or wine flask. Other lamps are decorated with Satyr heads, and Silenus and Pan’s masks. A pottery object having the shape of a phallus is accompanied by the figures of Silenus, Eros, Psyche and Nike (?), and was probably used in Dionysian processions. A pottery figurine of a male figure with protruding phallus, and surrounded by animals is a symbol of fruitfulness.
Halutza, in the Northern Negev. Two fragmentary carved bone artifacts from the Byzantine period were discovered in the last excavations conducted in Halutza. One depicts a nude female figure, probably a Nereid, offering a coffer to a missing figure, possibly Aphrodite Anadyomene. Another bone fragment, discovered in the ruins of the theater, depicts a naked man in profile. The thyrsus he is holding in his hand indicates that it represented the god Dionysus.
Hefer Valley. In the center of the Sharon plain, some 15 km south of Caesarea. Impressd on the four sides of a lead coffin, images of Eros, jumping dolphins, a young Dionysus with thyrsus, a female Sphinx upon column, a female figure standing on a mask (?) and two felines supporting a kantharos surmounted by a large bunch of grapes.
Heshbon. A double panel mosaic from the fifth or sixth century was discovered in 1915 in Tel esh-Sheikh by J. Clédat. The upper register shows the story of Phaedra and Hyppolytus, with all its main components. The lower register has two scenes: the upper one depicts Dionysus in his triumphal procession. Seated by a vine on his triumphal chariot, which is dragged by a male Centaur playing the Phrygian flute and a female one playing a lyre, and lead by a naked and winged Eros, Dionysus is spilling wine to a small panther at his feet. In front of him are Papposilenus riding a donkey, a dancing male Bacchant called Skirtos (the dancer) and a Maenad. In the lower scene there appears a naked and drunken Heracles sustained by a young servant with a stick. Heracles is holding a club with his right hand, while from his left shoulder hangs the head of the Nemean lion. He is preceded by the figures of Pan, a nude herald holding an animal skin on his left shoulder and playing a horn, and a dressed Grace dancing and playing a cymbal. An allegorical, eschatological significance for this mosaic has been suggested.
Jerusalem. The God of the Jews was compared to Zeus Sabazios and Dionysus. Jews were compulsed to participate in the mensual sacrifices made in the temple on the king’s birthday and in the processions celebrated in honor of Dionysus.
Madaba (Jordan). Also in the acropolis, a mosaic panel shows Heracles strangling the lion of Nemea, and another has a dancing Bacchant and Satyr. Another panel of the same mosaic floor has a Dionysian kantharos with emerging vine, flanked by a pair of peakocks and a pair of sheep.
Mamre. The oak of Mamre or Terebinth was venerated up to the time of Constantius, but part of it was still seen by pilgrim Arculf late in the seventh century CE. Pagan cultic ceremonies celebrated there on occasion of market days are confusedly recorded by Syncellus. Graffiti, as well as the sculptured heads of Hermes and Dionysus found in the excavations of Mamre, attest to the ancient pagan cults hold in that place.
Philippopolis (Syria). The mystical wedding of Ariadne and Dionysus, with a drunken Heracles sitting on the floor.
Rabbath ‘Ammon. City of the Roman Decapolis. The limestone head of a young man crowned with vine leaves could indicate that the deceased was a member of a Dionysian thiasos.
Scythopolis. Beth She’an, Nysa Scythopolis (city coins), Baithsan, Ar. Beisan (IG 247-711). Main city of the Decapolis. According to Pliny the Elder, the city was once called Nysa because Dionysus buried his nurse there. Many of the city coins add the name Nysa to Scythopolis. From literature, we know the existence of some temples in Hellenistic and Roman Scythopolis, such as those of Zeus, the largest and central-most one, of Dionysus, and of the Dioscuri. Other buildings in the same area could also be related to pagan worship. Mythological figures and scenes are represented on a number of recovered daily-life objects and artistic works: Hexagonal altar, dedicated to Dionysus as city-founder on an inscription, decorated with his face and that of god Pan. A stone relief of Heracles holding Hydra’s head. A second altar to Dionysus found in the theatre. Some coins from Scythopolis show Dionysus’ head. Others show Dionysus naked and pouring wine to a panther or “with a chlamys flying behind him”, or “wearing a panther’s skin…, holding in his right hand a short thyrsus pointing down towards the head of a small figure.” Other coins depict Tyche standing and Dionysus being born from Zeus’ thigh. Nysa nursing baby Dionysus and holding a wine jar is depicted on a coin from Gordian’s time. A sculptured ‘Janiform’ or double head of Dionysus, found in the last excavations. A small relief of the same god, fully dressed, was found in Beth Shean in the late 1930s and is preserved up till now in a private collection in Jerusalem. From a Roman limestone base found in secondary use a headmask of Silenus protrudes within a garland.
Sepphoris. In Lower Galilee. Gr, Diokaisareia, Ar. Saffuriye (IG 226-739). Among the objects recovered in recent excavations are bronze figurines of Pan and of Prometheus, bronze bull statuettes, a small bronze altar, and a rhyton in the form of a winged horse, from the fourth century BC. There are also the famous mosaics, including the washing of the infant Dionysus, his education by the Nymphs of Nysa, his wedding, his triumphal procession, Heracles assaulting a woman, the drinking contest between Dionysus and Heracles, and Dionysus’ drunkness and vomiting. Among other representations, there’s a scene depicting the production of wine, a Nilotic scene with some youngsters stoning a crocodile, and a beautiful woman’s face among foliage. In the main hall of another private villa, probably later than the former one, the emblem of a large mosaic features the scene of a seated Orpheus playing the lyre, surrounded by a number of listening animals.
