by Kathryn M. Duda
This fall, museum visitors can follow the path taken by Jewish worshipers
in ancient Palestine to read a message revealed in a mosaic. Discovered
in 1993 on the floor of a fifth-century synagogue in the city of Sepphoris,
the mosaic and its interpretation shed new light on the beliefs of an ancient
Jewish community in Galilee. Now traveling to museums worldwide, the mosaic
will be exhibited in the Hall of Sculpture.This exhibition is a joint venture
of Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the United
Jewish Federation.
The synagogue mosaic, which measures 46 x 16 feet, is decorated with
scenes depicting three subjects: the Hebrew patriarch Abraham and his son
Isaac, a zodiac circle, and the Tabernacle and Jerusalem Temple. These
themes are represented in several other ancient synagogue mosaics in a
more abbreviated form, but their symbolism as a group has never been clear.
The much more elaborate versions of the scenes in the Sepphoris mosaic
have provided scholars with a chance to re-examine their content, leading
to the realization that together the three themes may have conveyed a single
messageone that was readily understood by the Jews of ancient Israel:
God, the all-powerful ruler of creation, will remember his promise to Abraham
and redeem his children in the future.
The message expresses the hope for future redemption, the rebuilding
of the Temple and the return of goodness and plentitude to the land. This
profound ideological statement is found also in the prayers and rabbinic
literature of the time. The three themes of the mosaic are as follows:
Abraham and Isaac. While very little remains of this portion of the
mosaic, it has been reconstructed on the basis of another mosaic from Ravenna,
Italy. The figure partially shown is probably Sarah, standing at the entrance
to her tent when she and Abraham were visited by angels. Also depicted
in this portion of the mosaic is Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his
son, Isaac. These two scenes are thought to demonstrate God’s promise to
bless and protect Abraham’s descendants, and both have connections with
Christian art. The angel’s visit is seen as a prefiguration of the Annunciation,
in which an angel appears to the Virgin Mary to announce her role as the
mother of Jesus. The Binding of Isaac was also a common theme in Christian
art of the time, where it represents a precursor to Jesus’ crucifixion.
Zodiac Circle. The zodiac is depicted in a number of ancient synagogues,
but the Sepphoris example is particularly rich and detailed. In the center
of the zodiac section is a chariot of the sun god, Helios, with an image
of the sunpossibly a symbol for the power of God. Surrounding the chariot
are the seasons, months and celestial bodies, representing the divine order
implicit in nature and the universe. The zodiac signs feature youths bearing
symbols, and are labeled in Hebrew. The four seasons are personified by
women, with their names inscribed in Hebrew and Greek.
The Temple. At the time of the synagogue’s construction in the early
fifth century, the Temple in Jerusalemthe religious center of the Jewish
peoplehad lain in ruins for over three centuries, replaced by community-based
synagogues. In the mosaic, the Temple is suggested by vessels that were
used in itthe basin, alter, menorahs, tongs, incense shovel and trumpets.
Three languages are represented in the mosaic, in inscriptions of three
types. Hebrew descriptions accompany the zodiac signs and the seasons,
the components of the daily offering and the figure of Aaron. Long dedicatory
inscriptions appear in Greek, and shorter dedicatory inscriptions in Aramaic.
Scholars believe the inscriptions are of two lengths because the Greek-speaking
population was more affluent than the Aramaic, and therefore could afford
to donate larger sums of money toward the elaborate mosaics.
Located among the chalk hills of Lower Galilee, Sepphoris has a rich
history that goes back more than 2,000 years. Dubbed “The Ornament of All
Galilee” after Herod Antipas rebuilt it early in the first century, it
thrived until the end of the Byzantine period (mid 15th century). It was
a peaceful city, ruled alternately by Jews, Christians and Roman pagans.
Central to both Jewish and Christian religious histories, Sepphoris was
a center for learninga cosmopolitan city of some 30,000 multi-ethnic people.
During the first century it served as the capital of Galilee, and it is
mentioned in rabbinic literature more often than any ancient city except
Jersualem.
Archaeological excavations in Sepphoris during the last quarter century
have yielded much about this ancient metropolis and the people who lived
there during the Roman period. A vast underground reservoir and water system
were discovered in the late 1970s, followed by a variety of buildings both
public and privatemany with colorful mosaic floorsand a network of city
streets. Ancient literary sources reveal that Sepphoris also contained
many synagogues during the first several hundred years A.D. The first one,
discovered in 1993, contained the magnificent mosaic that is being exhibited
around the world. The findings reveal that the Sepphoreans were a culturally
sophisticated people.
The city was known as “Diocaesarea” by the Romans, and as “Zippori”
by the Jews. It became “Le Saphorie” during the Crusader period, until
the Crusaders lost a battle to the first Ayyubid sultan, who named it “Saffuriyyeh.”
Israel overtook the city in 1948 and turned it into a cooperative farming
community, and the name became “Zippori” once again. In 1992, it opened
as Zippori National Park, where thousands of tourists from around the world
come to see for themselves the wonders left by the ancient Sepphorians.
Related Programs
Lunch & Learn
The Shape of Holiness: Church & Synagogue in Ancient Times
Thurs., Oct. 15, 10:30am2:00pm
Meet in the Museum of Art Theater
Join Museums of Art and Natural History docents for a fascinating look
at the exhibition An Ancient Mosaic from Sepphoris. After lunch, enjoy
a lecture on ancient church and synagogue architecture by University of
Pittsburgh professor Franklin Toker. Fee includes lunch in the Museum Café.
Call 622-3288 to register.
Roundtable Discussion
Sepphoris in Galilee: Where Judaism and Christianity Intersect
Sun., Oct. 18, 2:003:30pm, Museum of Art Theater
Professor Dvora Weisberg, University of Pittsburgh; Professor Sean Kealy,
Duquesne University; Nancy Lapp, Bible Lands Museum at the Pittsburgh Theological
Seminary. A prominent and predominately Jewish city in the 1st through
7th centuries, Sepphoris saw the growth of its Christian population after
the Roman emperor Constantine’s conversion to Christianity in the year
312. Subsequently, Sepphoris was for Judaism a center of Jewish scholarship
and intellectual life and for Christianity a place vital to understanding
the context of Jesus’ ministry and the development of Christianity in the
region. The speakers will address Jewish and Christian interaction in Galilee
and the evidence that people of both religions lived in Sepphoris.
Lecture
Promise and Redemption: A Synagogue Mosaic from Sepphoris
Mon., Oct. 19, 7:00pm
Museum of Art Theater
Zeev Weiss, lecturer at the Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University
of Jerusalem and director of the Sepphoris expedition.
Family Day
Imagining Ancient Israel
Sun., Oct. 25, 2:004:00pm, ongoing
Hall of Sculpture
Cutting-edge technology, fragments of an ancient mosaic floor, a treasure
hunt, an art activity, and music will boost your power to imagine ancient
Israel. The exhibition An Ancient Mosaic from Sepphoris will come to life
in a live telecommunications hook-up. Ask experts in Israel what Sepphoris
is really like. Teens will especially appreciate this opportunity for a
live, international, video conversation. Don’t miss this unique event for
all ages!
Major funding for this exhibition has been provided by Sheila and Milt
Fine, and the United Jewish Federation. Additional generous support has
been provided by ASKO, Inc., Meyer and Merle Berger Family Foundation,
The Allen H. and Selma W. Berkman Charitable Trust, B’nai Zion-Pittsburgh
Region, The Alan D. and Marsha W. Bramowitz Charitable Trust, Buncher Family
Foundation, Carnegie Mellon University, Equitable Resources, Inc., Giant
Eagle Foundation, The Grable Foundation, Marcia and Stanley Gumberg, Marshall
and Wallis Katz, Charles Litman, Mellon Bank, National City, Perlow-Kessler
Family, PNC Private Bank, Donald and Sylvia Robinson Family Foundation,
and Kitty and Harold Ruttenberg.
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