'An Even More Unexpected Find' – The Synagogue of Dura-Europos and Its Place in Local Society, lecture by Ted Kaizer (Durham University), Classical Association of Scotland via Zoom, December 16, 2020, 6:00 pm (GMT)

Ever since its discovery in 1932, the painted synagogue of Dura-Europos has occupied a central place in scholarship, as arguably the main Jewish cycle from antiquity and in any case the only set of surviving wall paintings rather than floor mosaics, and has contributed to the reputation of Dura-Europos as a rather untypical town. It could be argued, however, that - although it is surprising that the many finds at the Euphrates stronghold are so well preserved and combine to create an unprecedented window onto local society - the finds themselves, including the synagogue, are not necessarily considered surprising. The unprecedented illustration of the Hebrew scriptures (in sharp contrast of course to the prescription of the Ten Commandments) in the form of uniquely preserved wall painting can be seen as evidence that Jewish communities living in the periphery of the Roman world, far away from their homeland, had much more leeway in the way they gave expression to their religion than the notion of an orthodox Judaism would suggest. This papers aims to locate what has recently been referred to (by Tessa Rajak) as “images of a competitive community” in their local and regional context.

Ted Kaizer is Professor in Roman Culture and History at Durham University.

Advance registration required.