Description
Book SynopsisAntique Jewish art visualized the idea that the essence of God is beyond the world of forms. In the Bible, the Israelites were commanded to build sanctuaries without cult statues. Following the destruction of the Second Temple, Jews turned to literary and visual aids to fill the void. In this accessible survey, Shulamit Laderman traces the visualizations of the Tabernacle implements, including the seven-branch menorah, the Torah ark, the shofar, the four species, and other motifs associated with the Hebrew Bible and the Jewish calendar. These motifs evolved into iconographic symbols visualized in a range of media, including coins, funerary art, and synagogue decorations in both Israel and the Diaspora. Particular attention is given to important discoveries such as the frescoes of the third-century CE synagogue in Dura-Europos, mosaic floors in synagogues in Galilee, and architectural and carved motifs that decorated burial places.
Table of ContentsContents Jewish Art in Late Antiquity State of the Research in Ancient Jewish Art Abstract Keywords 1 Introduction 2 The Cosmological Significance of the Tabernacle 3 Coins and Their Symbolic Language 4 Burial Architecture and Ornamentation 5 Ancient Synagogues in Palestine 6 Ancient Synagogues in the Diaspora 7 Synagogue Art – Decorating the Sacred Realm 8 Architectural Elements and Furnishings in the Ancient Synagogues 9 The Seven-Branch Menorah 10 Conclusions Bibliography
