Abstract
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.
Highlights
Late antiquity witnessed the increased construction of synagogues in the Jewish diaspora of the Roman-Byzantine world
Aside from the frescoes of the Dura Europos synagogue that are continually studied,2 the artistic remains from Diaspora synagogues have naturally received less attention than those from Palestinian synagogues
It bears noting that the scant number of synagogues in no way reflect the dimensions of the late antique
Summary
Courtesy of the Center for Jewish Art, Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Italy was was discovered discovered accidentally accidentally during during the the eighties of the previous century. During the early 6th century the building was renovated: the prayer hall was expanded towards unit from the right, in the third that frames a menorah resting on a the southeast and a bima was built in the new space. Bath-Gymnasium complex, had been converted into a synagogue in the late 3rd or early 4th century. prayer hall was expanded towa added in the southeast wall. The at thethe ancient mosaic carpets feature decorative and geometric patterns that incorporate dedicatory inscriptions They contain no religious or ritual symbols, nor figural images, aside from two zoomorphic figures is the largest of allcomplex, ancient syna of a Bath-Gymnasium had that had been displaced from the apse mosaic in the course of iconoclastic activity (Figure184). of a The. 18 The synagogue hous century
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