Customer Reviews

The Synagogues and Churches of Ancient Palestine (Michael Glazier Books)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Neither synagogues nor churches came into being until after the Roman conquest of ancient Israel, which the Romans then renamed "Palestine" after the Phoenician sea people, who originated in Greece, although many theories have attempted to disprove the history provided by Herodotus.

In any case, the Romans derived the name "Palestine" for ancient Israel in order to humiliate the conquered Jewish people. And it was in that era, following the destruction of the Second Temple, that synagogues, or Jewish houses of prayer, evolved. Prior to that, the Jewish people had always traveled to Jerusalem, to the Temple Mount, on religious Holy days and Festivals.

This excellent 144 page book, first published in 1994, in its first four chapters, discusses the origins of the synagogue, the synagogues specific to the Galilee and Judea (the mountainous area including Jerusalem and the Judean Hills, the central area of their homeland from which the Jewish people derived their name), and finally the synagogues known as Zodiac structures because they included pagan mosaics in their floors, most likely for artistic, and no other, reason.

In addition, the book features five chapters on churches, including their origin, the church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the churches of Nazareth and Capernaum, churches in the Galilee, and finally churches of Jerusalem and southern Palestine.

The book, in addition to floor plans that help to explain the dimensions and positioning of these prayer houses, also features many illustrations of artistic reliefs, paintings and mosaics.

The book is an excellent find for anyone interested in the Jewish and Christian connections to ancient Israel, following the Roman conquest.

--Alyssa A. Lappen