The Dura-Jewish Art Analysis

The Judaism, Christian, and Islamic religions have its own approach to art and architecture. These religions distinctive styles were influenced by political and spiritual upheavals in society, the environs, and the consciousness of the inhabitants. Their expression of inner feelings and beliefs lead to the creation of sacred monumental structures and beautiful art in which people can reflect and gain inspiration from the divine. The Judaism, Christianity, and Islam diverse traditions and theologies offer an illuminating insight into their notions of the sacer and profanus. Jewish
Jewish art and its development is acutely intertwined with Christian art due to its profound connections to each other. Although Judaism and Christianity
239 A.D.) synagogue artwork is significant because they are the most all-encompassing and extensive figural representation of early Jewish art history to survive. Representations of God do not appear in the Jewish context due to the Second Commandment; however, the use of symbols in their depictions exemplifies their faith as they illustrated episodes from the Hebrew Bible. The Dura-Europus western wall mural paintings depict tremendous figurative imagery. Soltes indicated that there is an emphasis on the themes of redemption and salvation connotative in the area above the Torah niche. The central image is a schematic representation of the front doors of the Temple of Jerusalem that in the future will be rebuilt, to the right is Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac, but in the end is saved, and to the left are the seven-branch candelabra (Soltes, L10). The image of the seven-branch candelabra depicted throughout Jewish art history is a symbol of salvation and redemption due to the conviction that the world was created in seven days and the law of keeping the seventh day a holy day. The number seven is important because it represents “completion and perfection” (Soltes, L10). Another image on the wall of Dura-Europus is a continuous narration depicting the Life of Moses. There are two large representations of Moses in the center, one is turning to part the Red Sea that destroys the Egyptians, and the other is of him leading the Israelites to the sea. These
Piety was on the rise and a lot of the populace went on religious pilgrimages to express their devotion of the Roman Catholic faith. This period was also the birth of Romanesque architecture. Architects utilized Roman antiquity to develop their churches with Christian themes. The St. Sermin de Toulouse church in Toulouse, France, marks a geographical point for a religious pilgrimage. The architectural shape is that of a cruciform that invokes the crucifixion of Christ as well as the Chi-Rho is symbolizing the victory over