Part of the church where the higher clergy was seated. Mostly priests attached to the church, seated in a half-circle round the bishop.
Sometimes the presbytery was known as apsis, exedra or concha according to the form of the building.
If the presbytery was elevated above the level of the nave we use the term bema.
Sometimes the priests were seated in a sort of tribune (which resembles the tribune of a court). In this case the term tribuna is used.
In many cases these terms were superseded by the term choir. |