Synagogue of Dura Europos

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Coordinates: 34 ° 44 ′ 51 ″  N , 40 ° 43 ′ 48 ″  E

City map of Dura Europos with the location of the synagogue
Plan after the renovation. Red: inner courtyard and synagogue, orange: entrance and side rooms
Model representation

The synagogue of Dura Europos was in Dura Europos , an ancient city in eastern Syria that belonged to the Roman Empire in the 3rd century AD . It is of particular importance as it is the only surviving synagogue from ancient times that was completely decorated with figural wall paintings . The wall paintings can now be seen in a separate room in the National Museum Damascus .

Description of the synagogue

The synagogue of Dura Europos, like the house church of Dura Europos a little to the south, developed from a private house that was probably used as a place of worship as early as the late 2nd century AD. The building was rebuilt in 244/245 using some dated bricks on the ceiling. 256 the Sassanids destroyed the entire city. The frescoes must therefore have been painted on the plaster in the intervening years.

The house was about 15 x 8 meters and had an annex about 10 x 8 meters. The rooms were grouped around a courtyard. The extension consisted of a peristyle and the meeting house for the community. This meeting room was painted with murals depicting stories from the Old Testament .

In 238 AD the Sassanids almost conquered Dura Europos in an attack. Immediately before their attack, which was successful after the besieged defendants fierce resistance, the outer walls were raised and, for this purpose, especially on the endangered west side, they were filled with sand and earth inside and out for stabilization. The synagogue was built directly onto the western enclosure wall and was largely filled in. A glacis was created on the outside with which the attackers were to be kept at a distance; The synagogue was one of a long line of buildings that were built directly onto the outer wall. The paintings on the west wall are almost completely preserved, on the north and south walls about halfway, below a diagonal formed by the angle of the slope. The north face is somewhat better preserved. Of the uncovered east wall, only a narrow strip is left on the floor on both sides of the entrance door.

discovery

Dura Europos was excavated in 1922/1923 and again from 1928 to 1937 by historians James Henry Breasted and Michael Rostovtzeff on behalf of Yale University . The wall paintings of the synagogue were discovered in 1932 by a French-American team led by Clark Hopkins of Yale University. They have been well preserved because they were hidden under the earth's layer, the dry desert climate saved them from being washed away and because the place was abandoned shortly after the conquest and no longer repopulated. The entire synagogue was initially to be transferred to Yale, but this was not allowed. The excavator at the time, Clark Hopkins , tried to bring at least some scenes to Yale, but it was determined that the paintings should go to Damascus.

Individual scenes

Triumph of Mordecai . Esther and Ahasuerus ( II.15 )

The biblical stories are circumferentially divided into three zones and individual picture fields on the walls, which are delimited by narrow bands. The paintings are partly in the tradition of Parthian art .

The paintings are unique, yet there are signs that it is time there was another being painted synagogues, although in Judaism a ban on images is that applies to the religious sphere. In the Jerusalem Talmud ( Mischnatraktat Avoda sara [idolatry] III 3 / 42a) it is reported that it was around this time that the walls of synagogues began to be painted and the then Rabbi Jochanan did not prevent this. There are coins from Apamea Kibotos that were minted under Septimius Severus and show Noah's ark . The list of representations is structured according to the occurrence of the corresponding stories in the Old Testament.

I. Pentateuch

  1. Jacob looks at the ladder to heaven . Gen 28.10-17  EU north face, top zone. Mostly destroyed. Jakob lies relaxed on a wall, only the lower part of the heavenly ladder diagonally behind him has been preserved.
  2. Jacob's blessing on his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh . Gen 48,13-20  EU west wall, middle zone. Central image field, lower right. Jacob blesses the two in the presence of Joseph .
  3. Jacob blesses his sons. Gen 49.1-18  EU west wall, middle zone. Central image field, lower left. Jacob is lying on the bed, behind him are his twelve sons, divided into two groups of six each. All are shown frontally. They have been called to the deathbed and receive final admonitions and blessings.
  4. Moses Birth and Preservation. Ex 1.8  EU - Ex 2.9  EU west wall, lowest zone, far right. The long field of view shows three scenes, read from right to left: on the right the city wall with an open gate. Next to it above: the Egyptian Pharaoh orders the Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah to kill all Jewish male descendants. Below: a woman stretching out her hands. Left: Pharaoh's daughter notices the ark. She stands on the bank of the Nile , with two maids at her side helping to save Moses . The child Moses is given to Jochebed.
  5. Moses and the Burning Bush . Ex 3.1-6  EU west wall, upper zone, right. Moses stands in front of him, his right hand stretched out to the bush at his side.
  6. Crossing the Red Sea . Ex 8.21  EU - Ex 14.30  EU west wall, upper zone, right. The largest panel of the synagogue shows a tin gate on the right, then the departing Israelites who stand in a row as if they had just come through the gate.
  7. Moses receives the tablets of the law . Ex 31.18  EU west wall, top zone, left. Shows Moses from the side, the head is missing.
  8. Inauguration of the Ark of the Covenant . West wall, middle zone, second field of view from the left. Composition from various stories from Exodus. In the center above the shrine, including a menorah . The largest figure in the upper right is Aaron , his tiara worn on his head shows Persian influence.
  9. The Beer fountain. Num 21,16-18  EU west wall, middle zone, first image field from the left. The composition of different episodes from the 2nd book of Moses and 4th book of Moses shows a field in the middle, which is surrounded on three sides by a total of twelve tents (for each of the twelve tribes of Israel ).

II. History books

  1. Samuel in silo . 1 Sam 2,1-10  EU - 1 Sam 3,1-18  EU North wall, middle zone, right. Hanna brings her son Samuel to Shiloh. Of both, only the lower part on the right side of a long city ​​wall crowned by battlements has been preserved.
  2. The battle of Eben-Ezer and the capture of the ark by the Philistines . 1 Sam 4,1-2 + 11  EU north face, middle zone, left. On the right you can see the battle between the Philistines and the Israelites, who are charging against each other on horseback. In the middle, the ark is being carried away by several men who are flanked by Philistine soldiers.
  3. The Ark of the Covenant in the Temple of Dagon. 1 Sam 5.1-5  EU - 1 Sam 6.1-12  EU West wall, middle zone, first image field on the right. The Philistines bring the Ark of the Covenant in front of the Dagon Temple, the statue of the god falls down. At the top right is the temple, in its dark interior two stone plinths can be seen, which are interpreted as altars or statue plinths.
  4. The anointing of David . 1 Sam 16.13  EU west wall, lowest zone, to the right of the Torah shrine . On the left is Samuel, who is dripping oil on David's head. This is in the foreground among his brothers.
  5. David and Saul in the wilderness of Ziph. 1 Sam 26.2-25  EU east wall, lowest zone, left. The lower part of the left half has been preserved. A cavalry army moves to the right.
  6. David, king of all Israel. 2 Sam 5.1-5  EU west wall, top zone, middle field of view. The painting, which has been painted over several times, represents the central focal point above the Torah shrine.
  7. Transport of the Ark of the Covenant to the Jerusalem Temple . 2 Sam 6,12-15  EU and 1 Kings 8,1-11  EU south wall, middle zone, right. Received less than half.
  8. City of Jerusalem and the Temple. 2 Sam 5,9  EU and 1 Kön 6  EU west wall, middle zone, first image field to the right of the middle. The only painting without human figures shows walls and the column facade of the temple.
  9. The anointing of Solomon . 1 Kings 1.34-39  EU west wall, top zone, first image field from the left. Poorly preserved, only a few male figures can be seen up to their knees.
  10. Solomon and the Queen of Sheba . 1 Kings 10.1-13  EU west wall, top zone, second image field from the left. On the right, only the lower steps of a six-step throne are preserved, the seated Solomon is missing. The throne bears an inscription.
  11. Ahab and Elijah . 1 Kings 17.1-3  EU south wall, lowest zone, far left. Nothing is left but two feet.
  12. Elijah with Kerit and Zarephath. 1 Kings 14.5-16  EU south wall, lowest zone, second image field from the left. The lower right half has been preserved. Elijah meets the widow at Zarephath's and asks her to bake bread with her last flour and oil. The bread multiplies miraculously as long as the drought plagues the city.
  13. Elijah brings the widow's son back to life. 1 Kings 17 : 19-23  EU west wall, lowest zone, third field from the left. It is the continuation of the story in Zarephath. On the left is the widow, stretching out her dead child to give it to Elijah.
  14. Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel . 18.21–46 EU south wall, lower zone, third and fourth image fields from the left. In the first scene, the sacrificial altar stands in the middle with the ox on it, waiting for fire to fall from the sky. Four prophets in Greek robes stand on each side of the altar with their hands down. The second scene shows a larger altar with three prophets on the left, one arm pointing up.
  15. Triumph of Mordecai . Est 6.11  EU , Esther and Ahasuerus . West wall, lower zone, second image field from the left. On the left side of the long picture, Mordechai is sitting across on a horse led by King Haman . They move towards a group of four men, who raise their hands in cheering gestures. On the right the Persian King Ahasuerus sits on his throne. He wears Persian clothes, a cap and holds a sword in his left hand.
  16. Mattatias and the worshipers of the pagan gods. 1 Makk 2.15–25  EU north wall, lower zone, right. The picture on the left shows the Jew who is forced to sacrifice at the altar. He kneels in Persian clothing in front of the altar, behind it stands a soldier in heavy armor and puts a hand on his shoulder. In a second scene on the right, Mattatias can be seen killing the victim.

III. Prophets

  1. Isaiah . Isa 26 : 19-20 + 56  EU west wall, middle zone, left wing, below Moses, who receives the tablets of the law. The front-facing man with white hair is dressed in a chiton and a himation .
  2. Jeremiah . Jer 31,31  EU and 2 Makk 2,2-4  EU west wall, middle zone, image field right wing, bottom right. Dark-haired man in prophet's cloak. He is holding a scroll in his outstretched hands without reading it.
  3. Ezekiel in the valley of withered bones . Hes 37.1 to 10  EU north wall, bottom zone left. The image field fills about two thirds of the north wall. The story begins from the left, with Ezekiel standing in front of him six times, four of them in a Persian robe.
  4. Belshazzar's feast. Dan 5.1-  EU east wall, lower zone, right. Badly recognizable and only a few remains. It may show a person lying on a couch.

  • Crossing the Red Sea (I. 6)

  • Moses Birth and Preservation. Left half (I. 4)

  • Isaiah (III. 1)

  • Elijah's sacrifice on Mount Carmel (II. 14)

literature

  • Joseph Gutmann (ed.): The Dura-Europos Synagogue: a re-evaluation (1932–1992) . Scholars Press, Atlanta 1992
  • Arne Effenberger : Early Christian Art and Culture . Leipzig 1986, pp. 89-91, ISBN 3-7338-0010-9
  • Carl H. Kraeling: The excavations at Dura-Europos: conducted by Yale University and the French Academy of Inscriptions and Letters, Final report 8 Part 1, The synagogue . New Haven: Yale University Press, 1956
  • Margaret Olin: "Early Christian Synagogues" and "Jewish Art Historians". The Discovery of the Synagogue of Dura-Europos. In: Marburger Jahrbuch für Kunstwissenschaft , Volume 27, 2000, pp. 7–28
  • Kurt Weitzmann, Herbert L. Kessler: The Frescoes of the Dura Synagogue and Christian Art. Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Washington (DC) 1990, ISBN 0-88402-182-3

Web links

Commons : Synagogue of Dura Europos  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Otto Eißfeldt: Temples and Cults of Syrian Cities in Hellenistic-Roman Times. JC Hinrichs Verlag, Leipzig 1941, p. 111 f
  2. ↑ Jennifer A. Baird: Dura-Europos , Bloomsbury Academic, London 2018, ISBN 978-1-4725-2211-5 , pp. 12-13
  3. ^ Kurt Weitzmann, Herbert L. Kessler, pp. 17-139