Ancient Synagogues: Historical Analysis and Archaeological Discovery, vol. 2.

• Author: Magness, Jodi

This is the second of two volumes containing articles on ancient synagogues. It has two parts.

The first part, entitled "The Synagogue's Internal Aesthetics," contains four articles, including two by Asher Ovadiah. The first, on "Art of the Ancient Synagogues in Israel" (pp. 301-18), is an overview of the relief and mosaic art of ancient synagogues in Israel: the second, on "The Mosaic Workshop of Gaza in Christian Antiquity" (pp. 367-72), is a republished article on the mosaic floors in the Judean synagogues at Gaza, Hazor, MaCon (Nirim), and Shellal, which may have been produced by the same workshop. In "Vicarious Sacrality: Temple Space in Ancient Synagogues" (pp. 319-45), Joan Branham examines the complex relationships between ancient synagogues and the Jerusalem Temple, in light of the iconographic, architectural, and ritual division of space. She suggests that whereas the Jerusalem Temple enjoyed the status of sacred space, the synagogues of late antiquity embodied contradictory notions. Despite their liturgical role and link with the Divine Presence, the synagogues of late antiquity never shared the uniquely prestigious position enjoyed by the Temple. This may explain the ambiguity in the depictions of such objects as the portal-type shrine in synagogue mosaics, which could represent either the Torah shrine or the Ark of the Tabernacle. Branham also discusses the soreg in the Jerusalem Temple and the chancel screens in ancient synagogues but does not raise the intriguing question of the relationship of the latter to chancel screens in Byzantine churches. In "Rereading the Reredos" (pp. 346-66), Paul Flesher uses computer enhanced imagery to demonstrate that there is little evidence for identifying David with Orpheus in the reredos of the synagogue at Dura Europos. He also argues that there is no connection between Orphism and messianism, and no evidence for a messianic theme in the paintings of the Dura synagogue.

The second section, which occupies the greater part of the volume, consists of a single long article by Dan Urman: "Public Structures and Jewish Communities in the Golan Heights" (pp. 373-617). It contains a description of sites surveyed by Urman between 1968 and 1976, divided into three geographical units: upper Golan; lower Golan; district of Susita. Instead of completely publishing his surveys, Urman describes only those sites which he believes provide evidence for ancient Jewish presence. His aim is to prove that...