Jewish Art in the Diaspora

Although local tastes and styles varied widely, Jewish communities throughout the Diaspora experimented with Roman and local architectural and artistic forms. At Dura Europos, the walls of the Jewish synagogue were adorned with colorful frescoes of biblical scenes, including the binding of Isaac and the story of Esther. While Jewish themes predominate at Dura, the synagogue also fully participates in local stylistic trends: Archaeologists have discovered visually similar frescos at Christian and pagan sacred buildings in the vicinity. Likewise, the Jewish community of Rome liberally partook of Roman funerary conventions when they buried their dead. The Jewish catacombs are architecturally indistinguishable from their pagan and Christian counterparts in the city. The use of decorated sarcophagi, intricate gold glass, and beautiful frescos in elite sections of the catacombs mirror popular forms and styles. The frescos and sarcophagi frequently contain pagan figural imagery such as cupids and the goddess Nike.