Synagogue mosaics and church mosaics in Palaestina and Arabia – comparative aspects

The author compares the use of images in Byzantine synagogue mosaics with contemporary church mosaics, arguing that visual art was a means of self-identification for Jews and Christians, differentiating them from each other. Her themes include contrasting perceptions of the Temple and Tabernacle, in which the synagogue was seen as a substitute, whereas the church was not only a successor and replacement but was regarded as superior. Among the themes shown are the ideology of sacrifice including the biblical promise given to Abraham, and similarities and differences between the synagogue and the church as cosmic temples, including the use of the zodiac in synagogues but not in churches. The discussion includes mosaics from the Synagogue of Severus at Hammat Tiberias; the Chapel of the Theotokos in the Basilica of Moses on Mount Nebo; the synagogues at Sepphoris and Susiya; and the Chapel of the Theotokos in the monastery of Wadi ‘Ayn al-Kanish.