Sarah Kennedy Image Annotation 1
Sarah Kennedy
Created on September 8, 2024
More creations to inspire you
PYRAMIDS OF GUIZA
Interactive Image
THE NEXT STATION
Interactive Image
THE MOST FAMOUS SELFIE IN THE WORD
Interactive Image
THE HAMBURG PLANETARIUM
Interactive Image
STONEHENGE
Interactive Image
BANFF NATIONAL PARK
Interactive Image
MARS
Interactive Image
Transcript
Reading Connection
As this mosaic was in a synogue, it has clear connections to the Dura Europos reading. In that reading, we learned that contrary to previous thought, synagogues did have art depicting people and objects. This synagogue shares that, and shows the diversity of 5th century Jewish art in concert with Dura Europos.
Reading Connection
This mosaic depicts a zodiac. The Spier reading disucsses how synagogues from this period had zodiac symbolism, so this is not an isolated case but rather part of a number of synagogues which had this kind of motif.
Reading Connection
We see here the four winds. Those are also seen in the Spier reading on the sarcophogus of Junius Brutus. That this motif was seen in both Jewish and Christian art shows that the lines between paganism and mono-theism were blurrier than previously thought.
Global Connection
This is writing is in Aramic, but the text around the Zodiac is in Hebrew (see the pink exclamation mark). This demonstrates the cultural exchanges that were happening between Hebrew speakers and the culture which surrounded them. The use of Hellenistic motifs like Helios in the center shows Greek influence, and a globalized way of spreading artistic motifs and perhaps religious ideas. As mentioned in the points related to the readings, this piece also challenges the canon, because it was previously assumed that synagogue art did not involve visual representations of people or deities.
Hebrew writing
Global Connections
See the pink eye for more description.
Question
What is Helios doing in a synagogue? What was the artist's relationship to the Greek polytheistic religion?
Question
Was the zodiac mosaic used as a functioning calendar to help congregants keep track of time?
Question
Was this mosaic created by Jewish people? Could it have been, like some of the catacombs mentioned in the Saradi-Mendelovici reading, created by pagan neighbors?