Ancient Treasures and the Dead Sea Scrolls

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AFTER THE DESTRUCTION OF THE SECOND TEMPLE

Judaism and Christianity
Each has its Own Symbols, and Yet…

The architecture and furnishings of early Jewish synagogues and Christian churches have many resemblances. The two communities called on the same craftspeople, and used the same materials and sometimes even similar ornamentation.

Look at the motifs on these two chancel screens. Both of them have a laurel wreath in the centre. Only the main Jewish and Christian symbols indicate which one comes from a synagogue and which one from a church. The sites in which they were found are more than 300 km distant from each other.

Audio - Curator's Tour (Dr. Adolfo Roitman)

Decorations in places of worship
Decorations in places of worship
Collection of Israel Antiquities Authority, exhibited at The Israel Museum, Jerusalem
Photo © The Israel Museum, by Dr. Jean-Luc Pilon, Canadian Museum of Civilization

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