Synagogue
The synagogue is the center of worship in the Jewish religion. While previously the tabernacle, or more recently the temple, was the center for cleansing and Redemption of sins, during the many instances in years of being exiled, the Hebrew people develop new places of gathering worship. Unlike the previous temples, who's design have been set in place buy a set of rules to Bible, the design of the synagogue was much more free and left to interpretation. These are places that people learned in their culture, as nothing was more important than understanding the laws and customs for the historic Jew. To understand the precedent that set the inspiration for the synagogues, is important to understand the earliest place of Hebrew worship known as the tabernacle. The tabernacle was designed while the people of Israel were still wandering in the desert as nomads, so the design of the building was primarily tent work with measurements and direct instructions for its design sent from God to Moses. The levels of the Tabernacle were extremely integral in the mindset and way that people thought of each other. In the outer court, people who are deemed clean enough would come to the altar and sacrifice animals, the blood covering up for their sins. The next level of the tabernacle were the walls of an actual tent that led to the holy place where people could go to pray and look at relics if deemed worthy. The final and most exclusive portion of the Tabernacle was the holy of holies, were only a high priest could go once a year if he had done an amount of cleansing rituals following God's instructions perfectly. It was said that if a priest went into the holy of holies incorrectly, they would be struck dead immediately on entry. Later in Jewish culture, people decided that a more inclusive place of assembly was needed. This led to the rise of the synagogues and the temple.
When looking at Jewish synagogues and it's difficult to determine an exact art style of the people that influence their design. Typically very little purely Jewish artwork is found from these periods, and assumed that this was an art not heavily valued in this culture. Because of this, it can be assumed that any major ornamentation on a Jewish synagogue is actually the result of whatever culture was currently in power in the area. Today, this evidently is shown by the variety in appearances of synagogues across the world. Outdoor space was a primary component of synagogues, which often had covered porches where people could sit around to discuss topics and listen. This is partially how the synagogue got its name, which means “ to gather or assemble”.² One key marker of a synagogue today is the star of David, which is a 6 pointed star that has been a symbol for the Jewish nation for centuries. The three knots the triangles form represent God, the Torah, and Israel.³ |
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Freeman, Roy D. "Synagogue." Digital image. Flikr. Accessed October 2018. data:image/jpeg;base64,/
Drawing of Sinagoga di Scola Nova synagogue in Trani, Italy shows the star of David by Hannah Moates
¹Meek, Harold Alan. The Synagogue. London: Phaidon, 2005.
²Silberberg, Naftali. "Star of David: The Mystical Significance - Kabbalistic Insights Into the Star of David." Jewish Traditions and Mitzvah Observances. December 14, 2008. Accessed October 25, 2018. https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/788679/jewish/Star-of-David-The-Mystical-Significance.htm.
³Tachau, William G. The Architecture of the Synagogue. C. Scribners Sons, 1928.
²Silberberg, Naftali. "Star of David: The Mystical Significance - Kabbalistic Insights Into the Star of David." Jewish Traditions and Mitzvah Observances. December 14, 2008. Accessed October 25, 2018. https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/788679/jewish/Star-of-David-The-Mystical-Significance.htm.
³Tachau, William G. The Architecture of the Synagogue. C. Scribners Sons, 1928.