Iconography in early Jewish worship

[All4Christ]

Many Protestants claim that iconography is wrong due to opposition to images in the Jewish faith. There are some archeologists and theologians that now this aversion to iconography in the early Jewish tradition is not accurate - that the opposition to images was more political rather than theological, and just become theological over time. Whether or not that is the case, there are some examples of early Jewish synagogues with iconography. I just happened across an article showing an archeological find of the preserved synagogue of Duras Europos...it has beautiful iconography, reminiscent to some of Orthodox Christianity's iconography.

I thought you all might find it interesting as well, so here is a link to an article at Cuny about it: http://chayacassano.commons.gc.cuny.edu/iconography/

Also, I am attaching a photo of the Ezekiel wall.

 

[ArmyMatt]

great find. and we always gotta remember that iconography was in the Tabernacle and the Temple. and since Christ went to the Temple, I am pretty sure God is okay with images.

and the technically the first icon was Adam.

 

[Gxg (G²)]

Many Protestants claim that iconography is wrong due to opposition to images in the Jewish faith. There are some archeologists and theologians that now this aversion to iconography in the early Jewish tradition is not accurate - that the opposition to images was more political rather than theological, and just become theological over time. Whether or not that is the case, there are some examples of early Jewish synagogues with iconography. I just happened across an article showing an archeological find of the preserved synagogue of Duras Europos...it has beautiful iconography, reminiscent to some of Orthodox Christianity's iconography.

I thought you all might find it interesting as well, so here is a link to an article at Cuny about it: http://chayacassano.commons.gc.cuny.edu/iconography/

Also, I am attaching a photo of the Ezekiel wall.

View attachment 161101

Thanks so much for the resource shared - if interested, there was actually a very excellent resource on the issue elsewhere that I was glad for - as seen here in the thread called "Ancient Icons"

 

[buzuxi02]

There was rich jewish iconography amongst the Jews of Syria. infact some of the motifs original to jewish images were borrowed in christian icons. The most popular was the use of a hand extended out from heaven to denote the divine precense. Such as this image from a synagogue in Damascus and Dura Europos:

Armenian icons have always retained this element.

 

[buzuxi02]

We see this theme of a hand to signify the descent of the divine power found in early judaism (due to the prohibitions in depicting the divinity) being employed in contemporary Byzantine style icons:

 

[GregConstantine]

Not only that, but Jews, back then and today, venerate relics and holy sites, something Protestants are loathe to do. I've been to the Holy Land. On my trip there, I saw a group of Israeli soldiers standing around the tomb of the holy prophet David, chanting prayers and venerating the tomb. They also venerate the torah scroll by kissing their prayer books and touching the scroll with their prayer book. I also saw them venerate the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Protestants really are the odd men out in this. I was a protestant when I went to the Holy Land. I came back and immediately went to the nearest Orthodox Church and asked to be received as a catechumen. I saw everyone, including Jews and Muslims vernerate. The only ones who refused to do so were Protestants, including the Protestant group I was traveling with. Sorry, but I'm going to go with the guys who've been there for thousands of years in original land, rather than a bunch of upstarts in Northern Germany who've only been around for about 500 years.