... What does this brief survey of figural synagogue art tell us? Foremost, and especially important today in the context of widespread efforts to detach the Jewish story from its indigenous connection to the Land of Israel, is the fact that the Jewish people continued to inhabit and prosper in the Holy Land for hundreds of years after the destruction of the Temple, even in the midst of a Christianized Roman Empire. In addition, there is the realization that Judaism has survived over the centuries because of its ability to balance Jewish particularism with the pressures of external cultures and religions.It is a good survey - of ancient synagogue art in the Land of Israel and the Diaspora, with some attention to some early modern Eastern European traditions too.
For the remarkable discoveries at Huqoq, not least those synagogues and their mosaics, see here and follow the many links. For many PaleoJudaica posts on other ancient synagogues in Israel, see here and links. For the question of pagan imagery in late-antique synagogues, see here and links. For many posts on the Dura-Europos synagogue and its decorative art, see here and links.
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