Images of Cosmology in Jewish and Byzantine Art Jewish and Christian Perspectives Series
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Images of Cosmology in Jewish and Byzantine Art Jewish and Christian Perspectives Series Editorial Board David Golinkin – Alberdina Houtman Marcel Poorthuis – Joshua Schwartz Freek van der Steen Advisory Board Yehoyada Amir – David Berger – Shaye Cohen Judith Frishman – Martin Goodman Clemens Leonhard – Tobias Nicklas – Eyal Regev Gerard Rouwhorst – Seth Schwartz – Yossi Turner VOLUME 25 The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/jcp Images of Cosmology in Jewish and Byzantine Art God’s Blueprint of Creation By Shulamit Laderman LEIDEN • BOSTON 2013 Bar-Ilan University, Israel University of Tilburg: Faculty of Catholic Theology, The Netherlands Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, Israel Bar-Ilan University after the Ingeborg Rennert Center for Jerusalem Ingeborg Rennert Center for Jerusalem Studies, Israel Bar-IlanStudies, IsraelUniversity, Israel UniversityBar-Ilan University, of Tilburg: Israel Faculty of Catholic Theology, The editors gratefully acknowledgeUniversity the financial of Tilburg: support Faculty of the ofIngeborg Catholic Rennert Theology, Center for Jerusalem Studies. TheThe NetherlandsNetherlands University of Tilburg: Faculty of Catholic Theology, This book is printed onSchechter acid-free paper.Institute of Jewish Studies, Israel TheProtestant Netherlands Theological University, The Netherlands Library of Congress Cataloging-in-PublicationSchechter Institute of Jewish Data Studies, Israel IngeborgSchechter Rennert Institute Center of Jewish for Studies,Jerusalem Israel Studies, Israel Interaction between JudaismIngeborg and RennertChristianity Center in history, for Jerusalem religion, Studies, art and Israel literature / edited LibraryTheby Marcel editors of Congress gratefully Poorthuis, acknowledgeCataloging-in-Publication Joshua Schwartz, the financial Joseph support Data Turner. of the Ingeborg Rennert Center for Jerusalem Studies. p. cm. — (Jewish and Christian perspectives series ; v. 17) Laderman, Includes Shulamit. bibliographical references. ImagesThisThe editors book of gratefullyis cosmology printed acknowledge on in acid-free Jewish the and financialpaper. Byzantine support art of :the God’s Ingeborg blueprint Rennert of Center creation for Jerusalem / by Shulamit Studies. ISBN 978-90-04-17150-3 (hardback : alk. paper) Laderman. 1. Judaism--Relations--Christianity—History. 2. Christianity and other religions— pagesLibraryThis book of cm.isCongress printed — (Jewish onCataloging-in-Publication acid-free and Christian paper. perspectives Data series ; volume 25) IncludesJudaism—History. bibliographical I. Poorthuis, references Marcel, and index.1955- II. Schwartz, Joshua. III. Turner, Joseph. ISBNInteraction 978-90-04-23324-9 between Judaism (hardback and Christianity : alk. paper) in — history, ISBN 978-90-04-25219-6religion, art and literature (e-book) 1./ Cosmologyedited inLibrary BM535.I4856art. 2. Jewishof Congress art 2008 and Cataloging-in-Publication symbolism—Themes, motives. Data 3. Art, Byzantine—Themes, motives. by Marcel Poorthuis, Joshua Schwartz, Joseph Turner. 4. 296.3’9609—dc22 Judaism—Relations—Christianity. 5. Christianity and other religions—Judaism. I. Title. N8012.C57L33 Interaction p. cm. —between 2013(Jewish Judaism and Christian and Christianity perspectives in history, series ;religion, v. 17) art and literature2008031295 / edited 704.9’482—dc23 byIncludes Marcel Poorthuis, bibliographical Joshua references. Schwartz, Joseph Turner. ISBN p. cm. 978-90-04-17150-3 — (Jewish and Christian (hardback perspectives : alk. paper) series ; v. 17) 2013011755 1.Includes Judaism--Relations--Christianity—History. bibliographical references. 2. Christianity and other religions— Judaism—History. ISBN 978-90-04-17150-3 I. Poorthuis, (hardback Marcel, : 1955-alk. paper) II. Schwartz, Joshua. III. Turner, Joseph. 1. Judaism--Relations--Christianity—History. 2. Christianity and other religions— This Judaism—History. BM535.I4856 publication has 2008 been I. Poorthuis, typeset in Marcel, the multilingual 1955- II. “Brill” Schwartz, typeface. Joshua. With overIII. Turner,5,100 characters Joseph. covering 296.3’9609—dc22 Latin, IPA, Greek, and Cyrillic, this typeface is especially suitable for use in the humanities. For more information, please see www.brill.com/brill-typeface. BM535.I4856 2008 2008031295 ISSN 296.3’9609—dc22 1388-2074 ISSN 1388-2074 ISBN 978-90-04-23324-9 (hardback) 2008031295 ISBNISBN 978-90-04-25219-6 978 90 04 17150 (e-book) 3 CopyrightCopyright 2013 2009 by Koninklijkeby Koninklijke Brill NV,Brill Leiden, NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. The Netherlands. KoninklijkeKoninklijke Brill Brill NV NV incorporates incorporates the imprints the imprints Brill, GlobalBrill, HoteiOriental, Publishing, Hotei Publishing, IDCIDC Publishers Publishers, and Martinus Martinus Nijhoff Publishers. Publishers and VSP. AllAll rights rights reserved. reserved. No No part part of this of thispublication publication may bemay reproduced, be reproduced, translated, translated, stored in stored in aISSNa retrieval retrieval 1388-2074 system, system, or ortransmitted transmitted in any in anyform form or by or any by means, any means, electronic, electronic, mechanical, mechanical, photocopying,ISBNphotocopying, 978 90 recording recording04 17150 or otherwise,3or otherwise, without without prior prior written written permission permission from the from publisher. the publisher. AuthorizationISSN 1388-2074 to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV CopyrightAuthorization 2009 to by photocopy Koninklijke items Brill for NV, internal Leiden, or personal The Netherlands. use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV providedISBNprovided 978that that 90the the 04 appropriate appropriate17150 3 fees fees are arepaid paid directly directly to The to Copyright The Copyright Clearance Clearance Center, Center, 222Koninklijke Rosewood Brill Drive, NV Suite incorporates 910, Danvers, the MA imprints 01923, U Brill,SA. Hotei Publishing, IDC222 RosewoodPublishers, Drive, Martinus Suite Nijhoff 910, Danvers, Publishers MA and 01923, VSP. USA. FeesCopyrightFees are are subject subject 2009 to tobychange. change.Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing, ThisAllIDC rightsbook Publishers, isreserved. printed Martinus on No acid-free part Nijhoff of paper. this Publisherspublication and may VSP. be reproduced, translated, stored in aprinted retrieval in system, the netherlands or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,All rights reserved. recording No part or otherwise,of this publication without mayprior be written reproduced, permission translated, from the stored publisher. in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, Authorizationphotocopying, torecording photocopy or itemsotherwise, for internal without or prior personal written use permissionis granted by from Koninklijke the publisher. Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222Authorization Rosewood to Drive, photocopy Suite 910,items Danvers, for internal MA or 01923, personal USA. use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV Feesprovided are subject that the to appropriate change. fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. printedFees are insubject the netherlands to change. printed in the netherlands CONTENTS Preface ................................................................................................................ ix List of Illustrations .......................................................................................... xiii List of Abbreviations ...................................................................................... xxi Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 1. Jewish and Christian Reciprocal Influences ...................................... 13 The Dura-Europos Synagogue and Baptistery ............................. 13 The Earthly and Heavenly Tabernacle/Temple in the Dura-Europos Synagogue .............................................................. 24 2. The Blueprint of Creation in the Bible and Its Allegorical Interpretations ...................................................................................... 33 The Biblical Link between the Tabernacle and Creation ........ 33 Philo of Alexandria and Josephus Flavius .................................... 39 3. Creation in Christian Works .................................................................. 47 Constantine of Antioch’s “System of the World” ........................ 47 The Christian Topography’s Schema of Creation ........................ 50 The Apostolic Constitutions: A Link to a Shared Exegetical Method? ............................................................................................. 54 The Octateuchs and Other Byzantine Artistic Expressions of Creation .............................................................................................. 61 4. Creation as Interpreted in Jewish Art ................................................. 73 Visual Models of Creation in Ancient Synagogues .................... 73 Midrashic Literature and the Symbolic Significance of the Tabernacle/Creation Parallelism ................................................ 88 5. Visualizing Creation in a Fourteenth-Century Jewish Manuscript ............................................................................................