Sacred realm : the emergence of the synagogue in the ancient world

The rich tradition and profound spirituality of Judaism has touched people the world over for thousands of years. With the arrival in the Near East of Alexander the Great and the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, the synagogue came to represent a new era of this powerful religion, one which witnessed a greater emphasis on shared religious experience and prayer. In turn, the synagogue, derived from the Greek, meaning an "assembly," has come to mean the Jewish house of worship, evolving into a "sacred realm," in which the Torah came to play a central role linking the biblical past with the messianic future. Of course, the synagogue has been much more that a house of worship—it served the Jewish people as a place of learning, a community center, and often as the official seat of Jewish self-government. Indeed, it is the institution most closely associated with the development of post-biblical Judaism throughout the ages. Sacred Realm: The Emergence of the Synagogue in the Ancient World offers the first comprehensive history of the architectural and archaeological development of the synagogue from the third century BCE to 700 CE. Telling the story of over one hundred ancient synagogues throughout the world and their place in the history of Judaism and of Western civilization, this book provides a fascinating representation of the cultural, intellectual, and artistic achievements of three thousand years of Jewish experience. Informative essays detail every aspect of the ancient synagogue, while beautiful illustrations and maps take the reader to the actual historic site. Sacred Realm is an accompaniment to a monumental exhibition organized by the Yeshiva University Museum in New York. Borrowing from museums in North America, Europe, and Israel, the exhibition presents a unique collection of artifacts and manuscripts—including many pieces never before displayed in the United States—and will depict for the first time an in-depth history of the synagogue during the Greco-Roman period. From fourth-century Egyptian incense burners and inscribed bowl fragments to fifth-century Gaza mosaics decorated with Menorah and Shofar, Piyyut (liturgical poetry) manuscripts, and assorted textile, column, and pottery fragments, this collection is the most significant presentation of ancient Jewish religious life ever assembled in the United States. Lavishly illustrated with both color and black and white photographs of the artifacts, manuscripts, maps, site diagrams, and reconstructions, Sacred Realm is not only a detailed record of this historic exhibit, but a guide to the evolution of Judaism's most sacred institution. Sacred Realm: The Emergence of the Synagogue in the Ancient World offers a comprehensive overview of the historical, archaeological, and literary development of the synagogue from the third century B.C.E. to ca. 700 C.E. by an international team of scholars. In describing more than two hundred ancient synagogues in the Greco-Roman world and their place in the history of Judaism and Western civilization, this book shows how the synagogue came to be the most important institution in Jewish life. Beautiful illustrations and maps transport the reader into the remains of synagogues as far afield as North Africa, Italy, Asia Minor, Israel, and Syria. Sacred Realm complements an exhibition organized by the Yeshiva University Museum in New York. The exhibition brings together archaeological artifacts and manuscripts from museums in North America, Europe, and Israel, most of which have never before been displayed in the Unites States. Lavishly illustrated with both color and black-and-white photographs of artifacts, sites, and models of ancient synagogues, this book is not only a detailed record of this historic exhibition, but a guide to the development of Judaism's most sacred institution. Sacred Realm: The Emergence of the Synagogue in the Ancient World / Steven Fine 1 Contents 5 Director's Preface 8 Editor's Preface 11 Acknowledgements 13 Historical Chronology 15 Foreword: The Ancient Synagogue and the History of Judaism / Lawrence H. Schiffman 18 1. Ancient Synagogues: An Archaeological Introduction / Eric M. Meyers 21 2. From Meeting House to Sacred Realm: Holiness and the Ancient Synagogue / Steven Fine 39 3. Diaspora Synagogues: New Light from Inscriptions and Papyri / Louis H. Feldman 66 4. Diaspora Synagogues: Synagogue Archaeology in the Greco-Roman World / Leonard Victor Rutgers 85 5. Synagogues in the Land of Israel: The Art and Architecture of Late Antique Synagogues / Rachel Hachlili 114 6. Synagogues in the Land of Israel: The Literature of the Ancient Synagogue and Synagogue Archaeology / Avigdor Shinan 148 Contributors 171 Catalogue of Objects in the Exhibition 173 Late Additions to the Exhibition 194 Notes 195 Chapter 1 195 Chapter 2 196 Chapter 3 197 Chapter 4 197 Chapter 5 198 Chapter 6 199 Glossary 201 Selected Bibliography 203 Photographic Credits 211 Index 213 019510224X,0195102258 This study offers a history of the development of the synagogue from the third century BC to AD700. Telling the story of over 100 ancient synagogues, this book provides a representation of the cultural, intellectual and artistic achievements of 3000 years of Jewish experience.