Synagogue Art in Palestine

By the Byzantine period, the synagogue was the primary place for Jewish public life in communities across the Mediterranean. Figural imagery abounds in synagogues. The colorful mosaic floors of synagogues at Sepphoris, Beit Alpha, Na’aran, and Hamat Tiberias are filled with both Jewish and pagan figural imagery. The Sepphoris mosaic is a prime example of trends in synagogue art during the late ancient period. A well-preserved mosaic floor in the synagogue’s interior combines Jewish motifs (e.g., such as scenes depicting the binding of Isaac and the visitation of the angels to Abraham and Sarah) with pagan religious figures. A large panel depicts personifications of the seasons, the zodiac, and an image of the sun in its chariot at the center—a reference to the sun god Helios. Variations on this Helios/zodiac motif have been found at several synagogues of the period. At Beit Alpha, Helios himself is personified.

The architectural ornamentation of many synagogues reflects aspects of the mosaic programs. Lions adorned the ark where the Torah scrolls were kept in the Nabratein synagogue, a sarcophagus in the Beit Shearim catacombs, and the bimah or readers platform at the Sardis synagogue in Asia Minor. Other architectural elements were also drawn from Graeco-Roman forms, such as column capitals in the porticoes and interiors of most synagogues as well as their layout and design. A capital from the synagogue at Capernaum adds a menorah relief to what is otherwise a typical Corinthian capital.