Jewish and Early Christian Art in Late Antiquity

Dura Europus

 

As noted previously, by the period of the late empire, Rome was very diverse socially, linguistically, and ethnically.  In addition, as noted earlier, there were many different religions practiced in Rome.  However, until the late Imperial Period, most religions related to paganism and polytheism.  Thereafter, polytheism began to fall from favor.

 

 

We will begin by examining Jewish and Christian art from Dura Europos.  Located in what is now Syria, many different traditions came through this city:

  • Persian

  • Babylonians

  • Roman

  • Christian

  • Jewish

Dura Europos  was a Roman outpost that was used as trading post.  It had a turbulent history.  It had been founded by one of the successors to Alexander the Great.  Then, in the 2nd century B.C., the city was taken over by the Parthians.  It was captured by the Roman emperor Trajan in 115, but only for a short while.  Finally, Marcus Aurelius captured Dura Europos.  It remained Roman until 256, when the town was recaptured by the Sassanians.  During this last period of turmoil, it appears that walls were built up around the city.  As a result, a synagogue and an early Christian church were lost in this fortification.  Ironically, this also contributed to their preservation because they could be later excavated. 

 

Synagogue at Dura Europos (now Syria) ca. 245-256 A.D.

 

 

In 1920-21, the British Army was in Mesopotamia in Dura Europos.  Soldiers began to dig out walls and began to uncover painted figures.  An American Professor from Yale was flown out to look at the figures — found that they were digging up a synagogue.

 

Originally, this was a house.  At some point, it was converted to a Jewish synagogue.  At first, scholars were surprised because these paintings seem to contradict the Second Commandment of the Bible prohibiting the making of graven images.  Now, it is believed that these images were not directly worshiped, but were used to tell biblical stories.  

 

This is not a fresco.  Rather, these images were created using tempera paints (egg-based paint) on plasters.  The walls were divided into three registers, picking up on Roman tradition:

  • upper — white washed

  • middle — figures in narrative scenes

  • lower — faux marbling

 Many of the figurative scenes were executed in the Greco-Roman tradition.

 

Christian community church at Dura Europos, Syria, ca. 240-256 

 

 

This Christian community church was really just a home.  Is a special room for baptism with mural paintings.  However, these paintings are in very poor condition. But, the most important thing is that it was a house.  All the painting was on the inside — there was no advertising, per se.  Likewise, this was how Christians throughout the empire practiced their religion —  within private houses.  This stands in stark contrast to the grand temples erected for the pagan gods.

 

Of course, during this period, Christians were persecuted. They would continue to be persecuted until the Edict of Milan issued by Constantine in 313.

 

Your book notes that Christian communities were small in number and that it a sect that attracted the most impoverished segment of society because of the promise of the afterlife was made to those who were rich and poor.  However, modern day scholars have found that this is an oversimplification.  There were a variety of social levels — not those at the very top, but not the agricultural slaves either.