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The Dura Synagogue

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The Dura Synagogue

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    1. The Dura Synagogue Carly Grey Dr. McGinn, RL 299B 5 May 2004

    2. The Ancient City of Dura-Europos Ancient city in the Syrian Desert Located on the Euphrates River, east of Palmyra Two sets of excavations have been completed: 1922-23: Franz Cumont 1928-37: Michael Rostovtzev Used for this paper Babylonian town, rebuilt as a military colony about 300 BC by the Seleucids About 100 BC it fell to the Parthians Annexed by the Romans in AD 165; under them it was a frontier fortress Shortly after AD 256 it was overrun and destroyed by the Sasanians[1] [1] "Dura-Europus.” Encyclopćdia Britannica. 2004.  Encyclopćdia Britannica Online. 2004 <http://0-search.eb.com.library.jcu.edu:80/eb/article?eu=32073>.

    5. Isolated? Often characterized as an isolated city Robin Jensen argues that this view is mistaken “This characterization was contradicted by the site itself, a small city with as many as eleven temples, Mithraeum, synagogue, Christian church, theatre, market, baths, palace, and a significant domestic quarter.”[1] “The city plan drawn by the archeological teams reveals that a fairly mixed population lived together in relative harmony, at least during the Roman occupation.”[2] [1] Steven Fine, ed., Jews, Christians, and Polytheists in the Ancient Synagogue: Cultural Interaction during the Greco-Roman Period. (New York: Routledge, 1999), 178. [2] Fine, Jews, Christians, 180.

    6. The Synagogue Located at what was the northwest area of Dura-Europos Near the main gate on the northwestern wall

    7. The Ramp The Synagogue’s remains were buried by a ramp Built by the Persians before the siege of CE 256 The area that was covered was preserved The western wall of the synagogue, which lay closest to the fortification wall of Dura-Europos, is almost entirely preserved The total portion of the walls that were available for study was about one half

    8. The Frescoes Famous largely because of the many frescoes found on its walls Provide insight into early Judaism and Jewish art Penny Young: The walls of the synagogue were painted with all the famous scenes in the Old Testament -- even though Jewish law forbids the representation of living creatures. It was a unique find. Images of animals and people had been found on Jewish remains before, but could not be compared with the scale of the paintings in the Dura Europos synagogue. An Aramaic inscription helped date the synagogue to around AD 244 which may go some way towards explaining the paintings. The use of imagery in Jewish art appeared around the second and third centuries. It was during this period that the Christians, many of them breakaway Jews, were building their own highly-decorated churches.[1] [1] Young, Penny. “Return to Dura Europos.” History Today 47 (1997): 31.

    9. The Frescoes Despite the diversity of interpretation of the synagogue art, there are many points upon which a consensus has developed The many divergent opinions about the synagogue and its frescoes were my primary focus

    10. The Eastern Wall The most fragmentary and poorly preserved Left exposed, without the protection of the ramp The third zone: David and Saul in the Wilderness of Ziph Belshazzar’s Feast and the Fall of Babylon

    11. David and Saul in the Wilderness of Ziph Which figure represents Saul’s general, “giant Abner,” and which represents Saul? Kraeling and Erwin Goodenough: the large figure in the front is giant Abner, the smaller figure is Saul[1] Weitzmann argues that the larger figure is Saul Notes his importance in the scene. [1] Herbert Kessler et al., The frescoes of the Dura synagogue and Christian art (Washington: Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, 1990), 88. Citing Goodenough, Jewish Symbols, vol. 10, 162; and Kraeling, The Synagogue, 202.

    12. Belshazzar’s Feast and the Fall of Babylon “The less of a scene is preserved, the more numerous are the proposals for its identification.”[1] Scholars have identified this panel as numerous scenes The Drunkenness of Noah The Ravens that Fed Elijah Abraham Fighting Away the Birds The Vessels Returned to Jerusalem by Elijah The Feast of Belshazzar [1] Kessler et al., The frescoes, 140.

    13. The Southern Wall Less than half was preserved by the ramp

    14. The Second Zone Transport of the Ark to Jerusalem and into the Tabernacle Kraeling: “David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness”[1] “How Solomon brought the ark and deposited it in the temple of Jerusalem.”[2] [1] Kessler et al., The frescoes, 94. [2] Kessler et al., The frescoes, 95.

    15. The Third Zone Begins with a panel whose remains only show a pair of feet Weitzmann: Likely to be the first in a series of five scenes, itself likely being the beginning of he Elijah cycle Entitles this panel Ahab and Elijah The next panel depicts Elijah at Cherith and Zarepath Elijah, dressed in prophet’s clothes, meets the widow at Zarepath The next panel shows The Sacrifices of the Prophets of Baal and Elijah on Mount Carmel Ignore the dividing border The scene shows four prophets in Greek dress on either side of the altar in the opening, a figure in Persian dress is shown Thought to be Hiel[1] Goodenough interprets Elijah and the two figures to be “The Great Three, that is, the Logos and Two Powers.”[2] The dense cyclic rendering is quite rare in the synagogue [1] On page 140, Kraeling explains that Hiel is the man who is mentioned in I Kings 16.34 as having rebuilt Jericho. [2] Kessler et al., The frescoes, 112. Citing Goodenough, Jewish Symbols, vol. 10, 149.

    16. The Northern Wall

    17. The Top Zone Weitzmann: Depicts Jacob’s dream at Bethel Jacob is wearing garments of the Greek tradition but the two men climbing the ladder are wearing Persian attire two men are in fact angels Andre Grabar The men are the princes of the pagan nations, Babylonia, Persia, Greece, and Rome, from Pirke de Rabbi Eliezer[1] But then there should be four men instead of two Isaiah Sonne The ladder represents Mount Sinai and the two men are Moses and Aaron climbing it[2] [1] Kraeling, The Synagogue, 73. Citing Grabar, “Le Thčme religieux des fresques de la synagogue de Doura (245-256 aprčs J.-C),” Revue de l’histoire des religions, CXXIII, 1941, 154-157. [2] Kraeling, The Synagogue, 73. Citing Sonne, “The Paintings of the Dura Synagogue,” Hebrew Union College Annual, XX, 1947, 276-278.

    18. The Second Zone Depicts two scenes Samuel at Shiloh The Battle of Eben-ezer and the Capture of the Ark

    19. Samuel at Shiloh Disagreement over whether Eli or Hannah is represented in the painting Weitzmann Paintings of Hannah and Samuel and the Lord calling Samuel Rachel Wischnitzer Figure was of Eli The pattern on clothing was worn exclusively by Moses and Aaron in those scenes[1] [1] Kessler et al., The frescoes, 69. Citing Wischtnitzer, “The Samuel Cycle in the Wall Decorations of the Synagogue at Dura-Europos,” Proceedings of the American Academy for Jewish Research 11 (1941), 87.

    20. The Third Zone Depicts two scenes Matthias and the Idolaters Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones

    21. Mathias and the Idolaters The right half of the scene has been repainted Weitzmann Alludes to the divided scene of the Elijah story The lack of division has been given too much emphasis in its interpretation Goodenough Ezekiel’s decapitation[1] Du Mesnil du Boisson Benaiah killing Joab[2] Jacob Leveen An episode from Ezekiel9, where the prophet speaks of six armed men slaying the idolaters[3] Eleazar Sukenik Tthe slaying of Zechariah in the Temple Kraeling Jehoiakim being carried off in Fetters to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar and killed by him [1] Kessler et al., The frescoes, 120. Citing Goodenough, Jewish Symbols, vol. 10, 185. [2] Kessler et al., The frescoes, 120. Citing Du Mesnil du Boisson, Pintures, 100. [3] Kraeling, The Synagogue, 118. Citing Leveen, Hebrew Bible in Art (New York: Hermon Press, 1974), 39.

    22. Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones Du Mesnil du Boisson Four figures flying down with wings are the four winds of Ezekiel [1] Weitzmann Six of the figures are of Ezekiel wearing Persian attire The density of this fresco was extremely rare [1] Kraeling, The Synagogue, 186. Citing Du Mesnil du Boisson, “Les Pintures de la synagogue de Doura-Europos,” Revue biblique, XLIII, 1934, 117.

    23. The Western Wall

    24. The Western Wall

    25. The Western Wall Best preserved Virtually all of its panels were sheltered by the ramp, and so its frescoes are the most illuminating of all the work in the synagogue This is fortunate, because this was the wall with the torah shrine, and so it is likely that the most important images were displayed on this wall

    26. The First Zone Begins with, “The third of the so-called portrait panels.”[1] Contain only one frontal figure Moses receiving the tablets of the law[2] Above the Torah shrine is another portrait panel Moses and the Burning Bush [1] Kessler et al., The frescoes, 52. [2] Despite this, there have been attempts to identify this painting with Joshua, according to Weitzmann.

    27. The Crossing of the Red Sea The story reads right to left, but the crossing is shown to the left of the drowning of the Egyptians Contradicts the biblical text

    28. David, King Over All Israel Painted over many times In the first stage, there were only three figures Du Mesnil du Boisson thought that the enthroned figure was Moses Kraeling considered him to be David and two counselors Other scholars have identified the figure as the Messiah Weitzmann identifies David on the throne with Samuel and Nathan Twelve figures in Persian costume were later added to the painting Kraeling: represent the twelve tribes of Israel[1] [1] Kraeling, The Synagogue, 226.

    29. The Top Layer of the Second Zone Jacob Blessing Ephraim and Manesseh in the presence of Joseph Jacob Blessing All His Sons The Consecration of the Tabernacle The Tabernacle and the Temenos The Ark of the Covenant The Altars and the Sacrifice The Well of Be’er The Moses Figure The Tents The Tabernacle

    30. The Well of Be’er

    31. The Infancy of Moses Pharaoh’s Command to Midwives, Shiphrah and Puah One holding a sword, probably a mistake by the restorer; it should instead be a key Moses’ Exposure in the Nile by Jochebed

    32. The Infancy of Moses Pharaoh’s Daughter Noticing the Ark Extreme case of condensation Does not follow the Septuagint, instead parallels Jewish legend in the Targum Onkelos[1] The Fetching of the Moses Child Miriam Offers a Call to the Nurse The Moses Child Being Given to Jochebed [1] Goodenough sees the maidservants as being nymphs and thinks that the synagogue was meant for Anahita, an oriental goddess.

    33. The Anointing of David Weitzmann “One of the most striking examples in monumental art of a transformation from a narrative scene to a hieratic composition.”[1] [1] Kessler et al., The frescoes, 80.

    34. Conclusion The frescoes of reveal an otherwise unseen aspect of early Jewish culture and art Jensen “Theories arguing the dependence of Christian art upon Jewish iconography (or vice-versa) offer a hypothetical link between Christians and Jews in the third and even the fourth century.”[1] [1] Fine, Jews, Christians, 177.

    35. Conclusion Some scholars see a unifying theme Messianic drama The soul’s ascent to true being Sovereignty of God[1] Other scholars see several themes The covenant relationship between God and Israel “Reward and punishment, salvation, and messianic expression.”[2] Gutmann “Scholars … are generally agreed that any explanation of the paintings must be rooted in contemporary rabbinic Judaism.”[3] Kraeling notes “The importance of the structure as the most revealing archaeological monument of the history of ancient Judaism known to date.” [4] [1] Guttmann, The Dura-Europos Synagogue, 137-38. [2] Guttmann, The Dura-Europos synagogue, 138. [3] Guttmann, The Dura-Europos synagogue, 139. [4] Kraeling, The Synagogue, 2.

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