Art And Architecture of the Synagogue in Late Antique Palestine In the Shadow of the Church Book

List of Figures     xiii
List of Maps     xxii
Acknowledgement     xxiii
Abbreviations of Often-Used Sources     xxiv
Introduction     1
Evolution and ancient synagogues     18
Re-assessing past scholarship     18
'Normative Judaism' and the forbidden image     19
Synagogue scholarship in the early nineteenth century     20
Beginnings of the evolutionary theory of synagogue plans     22
'Galilean' synagogues-the 'early' type     23
Synagogues with apses-the 'late' type     24
Broadhouse synagogues-the 'transitional' type     26
How the theory has effected synagogue studies     28
Galilean regionalism     29
Recent publications     30
Excavated synagogues dating to the Byzantine period     33
Introduction: Evidence for identification and dating of ancient synagogues     33
Archaeological evidence for unequivocal synagogues by century     34
Dated to the Fourth Century     34
Dated to the Fifth Century     40
Dated to the Sixth Century     50
Archaeological evidence for undated synagogues or those having equivocal building chronologies     55
'EnGedi-Southern Hebron Hills, Palaestina Prima     55
Susiya-Southern Hebron Hills, Palaestina Prima     56
Beth She'arim, "Synagogue I and II"-Lower Galilee, Palaestina Secunda     58
Ma'oz Hayyim, "Building A"-Beth She'an Valley, Palaestina Secunda     59
Ma'oz Hayyim, "Building B"-Beth She'an Valley, Palaestina Secunda     60
Ma'oz Hayyim, "Building C"-Beth She'an Valley, Palaestina Secunda     62
Rehob, "Phase 3"-Beth She'an Valley, Palaestina Secunda     63
Hammat Tiberias, "Synagogue IIA Severos"-Eastern Lower Galilee, Palaestina Secunda     66
Hammat Tiberias, "Synagogue IB"-Eastern Lower Galilee, Palaestina Secunda     67
Arbel, "Synagogue I and II'-Eastern Lower Galilee, Palaestina Secunda     69
Beth Yerach, "Synagogue"-Eastern Lower Galilee, Palaestina Secunda     70
Hammat Gader, "Synagogue"-Golan, Palaestina Secunda     71
Nabratein, "Synagogue 2a and 2b"-Upper Galilee, Palaestina Secunda     72
Meiron, "Synagogue"-Upper Galilee, Palaestina Secunda     76
Bar'am, "Synagogue"-Upper Galilee, Palaestina Secunda     79
Meroth, "Stages A and B"-Upper Galilee, Phoenicia     80
Meroth, "Stage C"-Upper Galilee, Phoenicia     81
Metrological evidence corroborates material evidence for Byzantine dating      82
On the 'Orientation' of Ancient Synagogues and Churches     84
Introduction     84
Where was the Divine Presence?     84
Jewish influence on Christian practice?     85
Christian influence on Jewish practice     86
"Orientation" of synagogues     86
Jewish prayer toward Jerusalem?     87
Christian prayer toward East     87
Written sources for prayer toward the East     87
Archaeological evidence for Christian direction of prayer     88
Churches in Palestine     89
Several churches founded by Constantine have apses in the West     91
Syrian churches     93
Direction of influence: Jewish-Christian, Christian-Jewish, or separate     95
Written sources from the Jewish realm     95
Location of the Divine Presence     96
Direction of prayer     97
Archaeological evidence in synagogues for direction of prayer     99
Criteria used by archeologists for describing direction of prayer     99
An obstacle: view and access to some platforms interrupted by columns and entrances     100
An enhanced axis in synagogues     101
Synagogues at Ma'oz Hayyim and at Rehob near Scythopolis     102
Bema and chancel screens in churches and synagogues     102
Conclusion     103
The 'facade motif' in ancient synagogues     106
Introduction: the Torah Scrolls, the Torah Shrine and the 'facade motif'     106
A 'generic' motif?     109
The facade motif on synagogue pavements     111
Inscriptions referring to the Torah Shrine     112
Archaeological evidence for the Torah Shrine     116
Torah Shrine or Torah Ark     119
Scrolls in late antiquity     120
Iconography of the facade motif from funerary contexts     124
A closer look at synagogue pavements     127
Depictions of the Torah Shrine on glass     133
The facade motif in pagan and Christian contexts     133
From iconography to object: the Torah Shrine     135
An enlarged facade with columns motif     136
Conclusion     139
Dated Churches in Galilee and the Chancel Screen     141
Introduction     141
Historical sources     143
Churches Dated by Inscription     145
'Evron 415, 443, and 490 CE     145
Shavei Tzion 486 CE     147
Horvat Esh-Shubeika 513 CE     148
Horvat Hesheq 519 CE      149
Philoteria (Beth Yerach) 528/9 CE     151
Horvat Bata (Carmiel) 543 CE     152
Suhmata 555 CE     154
Beth She'an, Monastery of Kyra Maria c. 567 CE     154
Gerasa Church of Bishop Marianos 570 CE     156
Kursi 582-587 CE     157
Hippos-Sussita Cathedral and Baptistery 591 CE     159
Dating the Chancel Screen in Churches     160
Ecclesiastical Furnishings in Synagogues     162
Introduction: apses and ecclesiastical furnishings in fourth to sixth century synagogues     162
Written sources for platforms in synagogues     165
The platform in rabbinic liturgical discussion     167
Archaeological evidence for the raised platforms in synagogues     170
Platforms in a range of sizes (Table 6.1)     172
Another type of small, stepped platform     188
Written evidence for an ambo in the synagogue     188
The Seat of the Elder at Dura-Europos     189
Was there a wooden platform in the synagogue at Dura-Europos?     189
Archaeological evidence from Palestine for an ambo in synagogues     191
The place where the Word is read aloud: sources on the ambo in early churches     193
Chancel screens: marking the 'sacred space' in churches      194
Evidence for chancel screens in the churches of Hagia Sophia and St. Polyeuktos in Constantinople     195
Chancel screens in synagogues in late Antique Palestine     196
Archaeological evidence for chancel screens in synagogues     196
Synagogues with chancel screens generally located near cities     198
Motives for the introduction of chancel screens into the synagogue     199
The 'Chair of Moses' or Kathedra in synagogues     201
Conclusion     202
The Niche and the Apse in Synagogues     205
Introduction: Where were the Holy Scrolls kept in the ancient synagogue?     205
Semicircular niches in synagogues     210
Dura-Europos     210
Eshtemo'a     212
Susiya     213
Arbel in Galilee     213
Nawa in Syria     214
Rectangular niche     215
Horvat Rimmon     216
Blocked Doorways at Beth She'arim and 'En Gedi     216
Rectangular chambers as the synagogue's focal point     218
Chambers at Hammat Tiberias, and Horvat Sumaqa     218
Rectangular recesses at Gerasa and Horvat Ma'on     220
Apses in churches and synagogues     222
Assumptions concerning apses in synagogues      223
Some explanations for the appearance of the apse in synagogues     226
The appearance of the apse as an architectural feature in synagogues in relation to Byzantine liturgical practice     228
The First Entrance of the Gospel and Hetoimasia     229
Artistic Representations of The First Entrance and The Gospel Enthroned     232
Imagery of the imperial throne     232
The Word of God     233
Competition with Christianity and adaptation in the synagogue     234
Conclusion     236
On Vitruvius, a synagogue, and five churches in the Provinces of Syria and Palestine     243
Introduction: Vitruvius and design     243
Names of builders and their titles     244
Inscriptions from Syria     246
Methodology     246
Churches with identical dimensions     248
Churches at Nawa and Sugane in Syria     249
Identical plans at Mampsis in Palestina Tertia and et-Tuba, in Syria     251
The southern church at Burdaqli in Syria     254
The synagogue at Ma'oz Hayyim, Palestine Secunda     256
Conclusion     257
Metrology of Churches and Synagogues     259
Bibliography     273
Archaeological Evidence for Ancient Synagogues: The Catalogue     299