Representations of Jerusalem in Jewish art and literature in the Late Antique, Medieval, and Modern periods

The aim the article „The Scenes of Martyrdom and Salvation in Late Antique Synagogue Art" is presentation of all iconographical examples of these scenes appearing in Jewish art of late Antiquity. There are two types of them: one is showing the sacrifice of Abraham and another the prophet Daniel in lions' den. These imaginations belong to a broader range of so called „salvations scenes", which decorated mosaics, relieves and paintings of many synagogues, as well as churches and Christian catacombs.

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Review of English-Language Research on Iconography of Late Antique Judaism (20th – 21st centuries)

Concept philosophy religion culture ◽

10.24833/2541-8831-2021-3-19-41-59 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 41-59

Author(s):

A. K. Grigoreva

Keyword(s):

Roman Empire ◽

20Th Century ◽

Late Antiquity ◽

English Language ◽

Russian Language ◽

Present Moment ◽

Late Antique ◽

Jewish Art ◽

Cultural Paradigm ◽

The Subject

The iconography of late antique Judaism became a research area in the second quarter of the 20th century. Before this time there was no such a large number of murals, mosaic pavements and other artworks available for examination. When scholars started considering monuments from late antique synagogues, they seek to find a relevant approach to studying the phenomenon of Jewish art in this period, its emergence and development. In the course of different periods in historiography of the subject various topics came to the forefront of research and became more important than the others. In the West this scientific area went through several stages in its development, while issues of iconography of late antique Judaism have not been on the agenda of the Russian-speaking scientific community till the present moment. This review of English-language major research seeks to compensate for the lack of a systematic view of the problem in Russian-language science, which is also touched upon in the present work. The subject of the present survey is historiography of Judaism iconography in the late antique period. The most cited English-language works on this subject are systematized in accordance with the periods of historiography and of the dominant direction of research. The review demonstrates three periods of historiography: early period with the stress on description; the second period with the question about existence and affiliation of Jewish art in late antiquity; and the latest period, observed in the present moment, that concentrates on systematic examination of art in general and some objects in particular. There are two main vectors of the study of the subject, which were formed by the end of the 20th century. The first is aimed at exploring symbols within the Jewish cultural paradigm without affecting the surrounding cultures. The second considers the symbols of Jewish iconography as included in the general cultural context of the regions of the Roman Empire, where worldviews were in constant interaction, and sometimes in opposition. Scientists have been developing both of these areas of research until present days. In the 21st century Jewish late antique iconography is an important area of research for Western science, which not only continues the development of problems indicated in the 20th century, but also formulates new ones, corresponding to modern trends in religious studies. The work shall attract the attention of readers to a significant number of little-known and highly specialized texts on the problem of the iconography of late antique Judaism.

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Art and Identity in Late Antique Synagogues of the Roman-Byzantine Diaspora

Arts ◽

10.3390/arts8040164 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 164

Author(s):

Noa Yuval-Hacham

Keyword(s):

Late Antiquity ◽

Urban Landscape ◽

The Other ◽

Late Antique ◽

Religious Buildings ◽

Jewish Art ◽

Jewish Diaspora ◽

Diasporic Identity ◽

Unique Nature ◽

The One

Late antiquity witnessed the increased construction of synagogues in the Jewish diaspora of the Roman-Byzantine world. Although not large in number, these synagogues were impressive and magnificent structures that were certainly conspicuous in the urban landscape, especially when constructed within a central location. This paper focuses on mosaic carpets discovered at these synagogues, to discern their distinguishing features through a comparative perspective. Two focal points are examined: on the one hand, local Roman-Byzantine mosaics in civic and religious buildings, and on the other hand, Jewish mosaics carpets in Palestinian synagogues. This comparison reveals several clear distinctions between the Jewish diasporic mosaic carpets and the other two groups of mosaics, that broaden our understanding of the unique nature of Jewish art in the Roman-Byzantine diaspora in particular, and of Jewish diasporic identity in late antiquity in general.

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“The Redeemer to Arise from the House of Dan”: Samson, Apocalypticism, and Messianic Hopes in Late Antique Galilee

Journal for the Study of Judaism ◽

10.1163/15700631-12340391 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 44 (4-5) ◽

pp. 553-589 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Matthew J. Grey

Keyword(s):

Late Antiquity ◽

Late Antique ◽

Religious Context ◽

The Past ◽

Jewish Art ◽

Close Proximity ◽

The Future ◽

Liturgical Texts ◽

Byzantine Period ◽

Late Roman

Abstract In the last five years, two mosaics depicting Samson’s biblical exploits have been discovered in Lower Eastern Galilee. Both mosaics were found in synagogues that date to the Late Roman/Byzantine period and are located in close proximity to Tiberias. Because of the rarity of Samson in ancient Jewish art and Samson’s lack of historical ties to the region, the significance of these mosaics requires explanation. This article explores this significance by considering the socio-religious context of the region in which the mosaics were discovered. Sources indicate that apocalyptic thought and messianic expectations flourished in Jewish Galilee throughout late antiquity, particularly in the vicinity of Tiberias. In addition, liturgical texts show that some Jews in this period viewed Samson as a biblical type of the future messiah—a redeemer of the past who foreshadowed Israel’s eschatological redemption. This confluence of evidence suggests that the Samson mosaics can be viewed as apocalyptic images reflecting messianic hopes that were popular in late antique Galilee.

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