Jewish Art
- Art and iconography-BritannicaAlthough the Second Commandment (Exodus 20:4; Deuteronomy 5:8), “You shall not make yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth,” has been understood as absolutely prohibiting any and all artistic representation, this is not the only possible interpretation of these words. What is intended is a prohibition against the construction of idols, which were objects of worship in the cultural area in which the Israelites dwelt...
- art, JewishArchitecture, coinage, and funerary remains reflect distinctive Jewish modes of participation in the larger visual culture of the Graeco-Roman period. Jews tended to distance themselves from artefacts and imagery deemed potentially ’idolatrous’, although this category was somewhat fluid. Hasmonaean and Jewish revolt coinage exhibits mainly floral motifs and a palaeo-Hebrew script, reminiscent of Tyrian numismatics. The Temple menorah and showbread table appear on lepta of Antigonos Mattathias (39 bc), and other Jerusalem cult objects are found on coins of the First Revolt (ad 66–74) and the Bar Kokhba Revolt (ad 132–5), which bear a tetrastyle representation of the lost Temple. The architecture of Herod's Temple (c.20/19 bc–ad 70) was consonant with Augustan imperial architecture, apart from the avoidance of human and most animal imagery. From the 3rd cent. ad, symbols drawn from the Temple cult (e.g. the menorah), some of which were carried over into *synagogue liturgy (e.g. palm frond bundles and ram's horns), served, with images of Torah shrines, as markers of Jewish identity across the Roman and Sassanian domains. Wall-paintings depicting biblical scenes, such as those which appear in the Dura-Europus synagogue (c.ad 245), were likely widespread. Basilical synagogues with large Torah shrines, usually aligned toward Jerusalem, are attested in Palestine and disaspora communities from the late 4th cent.; many Palestinian mosaic pavements were decorated with zodiac and biblical imagery.
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Credo Reference is an easy-to-use tool for starting research. Gather background information on your topic from hundreds of full-text encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, quotations, and subject-specific titles, as well as 500,000+ images and audio files and over 1,000 videos.
Primary Sources
- The Bezalel Narkiss Index of Jewish Art-Center for Jewish ArtThe Center for Jewish Art (CJA) is a research institute at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, devoted to the documentation and research of Jewish visual culture. Established in 1979, it documented and researched objects of Jewish art in ca. 800 museums, libraries, private collections and synagogues in 41 countries. Today, the Center's archives and collections constitute the largest and most comprehensive body of information on Jewish art in existence. The CJA’s research and documentation is included in the Bezalel Narkiss Index of Jewish Art.
- Jewish Art-The Walters Art MuseumThe Walters Art Museum is among America’s most distinctive museums, forging connections between people and art from cultures around the world and spanning seven millennia. Through its collections, exhibitions, and education programs, the Walters engages the City of Baltimore, Maryland, and audiences across the globe.
- The Jewish Museum-CollectionView Jewish art by date via the Jewish museum. The Jewish Museum was the first institution of its kind in the United States and is one of the oldest Jewish museums in the world. The Museum maintains a unique collection of nearly 30,000 works of art, ceremonial objects, and media reflecting the global Jewish experience over more than 4,000 years.
- Jews and the Arts in Medieval Europe-the METSurviving works of art provide inadequate testament to the importance of the Jewish community of Europe in the Middle Ages. While always a minority population, and despite recurring, intense persecution and exile, Jews throughout Europe made key contributions to the intellectual life, art, science, and commerce of medieval and Renaissance Europe. Jews served as both patrons and artists, and the art that does survive reveals awareness by Jews of the artistic currents of the day and regular interaction with the majority Christian or Muslim (in the case of Spain) community.
Judaism
- Films on Demand This link opens in a new window
This program explores how, over time, the Jews of the Diaspora have expressed their beliefs through architecture and art in a variety of countries. Architectural sites include Tempio Israelitico, in Rome, a sumptuous example of Italian Jewish architecture; the tiny Córdoba Synagogue; Budapest’s Great Synagogue on Dohany Street, a mixture of Byzantine and Moorish design elements; and, in New York City, the largest synagogue in the world: Temple Emanu-El.
Perspectives
Ancient Jewish art and archaeology in the diaspora
ewish Diaspora in Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine periods from first to the eighth centuries C.E. is the subject of this work. The author thoroughly investigates origin, symbolism and significance of the mainly synagogal and funerary art forms in the Diaspora. Ancient Jewish Art and Archaeology in the Diaspora is the companion volume to the successful Ancient Jewish Art and Archeaeology in the Land of Israel (1988) by the same author. The geographical area covered includes Syria, Asia Minor, North Africa and Mediterranean Europe. The first section examines the characteristic features of Diaspora Art synagogue architecture and art (including the Torah shrine and mosaic pavements). Another section deals with burial and funerary practices. Of special importance are the sections on the Biblical scenes , designs and iconography of the Dura Europos synagogue, and the Jewish symbols such as the Menorah, ritual objects, the Ark, the conch and the Torah Scrolls .
Jewish ceremonial art.
Sixty-one black-and-white and seven full-color plates illustrate some examples extant of the objects used by Jews in services at home and in the synagogue. With introductory text.
Artstor-Art & Architecture Database
- ArtStor This link opens in a new window
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ArtStor is a digital library in the areas of art, architecture, the humanities, and social sciences. This database includes over 700,000 images in the areas of art, architecture, the humanities, and social sciences with a set of tools to view, present, and manage images for research and pedagogical purposes.
Judaism
- Kanopy This link opens in a new window
Art of Faith is a visually sumptuous series exploring the architecture and art of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Each program is presented and narrated by the broadcaster John McCarthy, who visits many of the greatest and most significant religious buildings of the world.