Pages

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Gods at Dura-Europos

ANCIENT RELIGIOUS PLURALISM: The gods of Dura-Europos. From the worship of local Syrian protector gods to Christianity, many different religions flourished in the cosmopolitan crossroads city of Dura-Europos. Jen Baird brings us face to face with the diverse divine through the art of this ancient site (Minerva Magazine/The Past).
In the Roman period, the time that is best known from the archaeological evidence, we know of no fewer than 19 different religious buildings, many of which had been built under Arsacid (Parthian) rule in the centuries before. Some religious structures, like the Mithraeum, Synagogue, and Christian building, focused on single deities. Others were home to a range of gods. Together, the evidence for the many gods and goddesses of Dura-Europos, preserved through inscriptions, sculptures, and paintings, give us a sense of the complex cultural and religious interconnections of the Roman era in Syria.
PaleoJudaica has posted mostly, but not exculsively, on the synagogue. See here and many links. But many gods were worshipped at Dura-Europos.

Posts on Dr. Baird's book and her work on Dura-Europos are here and links. For Yale's Dura-Europos collection, see here and links.

Visit PaleoJudaica daily for the latest news on ancient Judaism and the biblical world.