Mosaic Floor, Beth Alpha

6th Century

Mosaic panel with zodaic in the center, figures on the bottom, and ritual objects and animals on the top, surrounded by stone and several square blocks. — The mosaic panels at Beth Alpha, in northeastern Israel, are surrounded by a border decorated with geometric, vegetal, and floral patterns. Below the binding of Isaac scene are Aramaic and Greek dedicatory inscriptions with a lion and a bull on the sides. The Greek inscription names the artisans who laid the mosaic—Marianos and his son Ḥanina, who also worked on the Beth Shean mosaics—and the Aramaic specifies the date of construction of the building, during the reign of Emperor Justinus (518–527 CE). The style of the mosaic is unique among ancient synagogue art. Some scholars have described it as amateurish or naïve, but according to a recent interpretation, the style may be a deliberate means of evoking the presence of the sacred.

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Credits

Dr. Brad Erickson.

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 2: Emerging Judaism.

Synagogue Mosaic Plan, Beth Alpha

The mosaic pavements from the synagogue at Beth Alpha, in the Beth Shean Valley, are a comprehensive example of the assortment of biblical scenes; Jewish symbols; geometric, vegetal, and floral…

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Binding of Isaac Mosaic, Beth Alpha

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Ancient mosaic featuring a central figure surrounded by twelve sections, each depicting a zodiac sign with symbolic animals or figures, bordered by decorative patterns and human faces.

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Ancient mosaic depicting a structure with ornate doors, flanked by birds, menorahs, lions, and ritual objects.

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Ancient mosaic featuring interlocking circles with animals, trees, a caged bird, grapes, and geometric patterns, bordered by a zigzag design and two lions facing each other, flanking a menorah, at the top.

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Jericho Mosaic

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