It appears they did pretty well to adhere to this idea. I am God your Lord, a God who demands exclusive worship.’ (Exodus 20:3-6) How does art in early Jewish and Christian art reflect or circumvent this? Do not represent gods by any carved statue or picture of anything in the heaven above, on the earth below, or in the water below the land. The Second Commandment warns against the creation of images that could be used as false idols. In this circumstance the imagery didn’t depict any one thing as a God leaving wiggle room for an individual to worship before either religion could unify to practice their beliefs out of hiding. One individual could see the imagery as false idols, while another could see it as a representation of their beliefs. Art is interpreted in many different ways and can hold multiple meanings. ‘The Zodiac Mosaic’ at the Beit Alpha Synagogue blends two beliefs that is a transition of Judaism before it blossomed into a new artform, culture, and religion. The Romans are an extension of Etruscan and Greek culture as is Judaism and Christianity. It’s also important to tie in what we have learned this semester about transitioning cultures. The lack of specialization within the freso suggests that the piece was done by an amateur but regardless represents the desire to create a place of worship. ‘Arch of the Covenant and Menorahs’ in the Jewish Catacombs in Rome was a hiding place that they could practice and bury their dead in secret. One thing to bring into the discussion is that before Constantine’s ruling those who were practicing Judaism and Christianity had to hide their beliefs because it was illegal in Rome. The building is thought to be the resting place of historical biblical people, and unless you are familiar with their stories and the role that they played in these religions, you may think that they are creating a building dedicated to only those people and that they are idling them and not their god. They use their buildings as a place to worship God rather than filling it with “false idols.” Their buildings also have great meaning, the Cave of the Patriarchs is a great example of how the idea of “false idols” could be thought of by others. The Christian Catacombs is another great piece of Christian art that is also a mosaic tile showing the Good Shepard. George where they used mosaic tiling to create pictures of different scenes, people, or items that have meaning to their religion. Instead of creating false idols they have created scenes in their churches, such as the Rotunda Church of St. and M.Div through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary.When it comes to Christian and Jewish art, I think that it is easy to see that they are not trying to create a “false idol” rather they are trying to create a place of worship. You will often find him when he’s not busy with ministry reading a pile of the latest books from a wide variety of Christian publishers. He is also a voracious reader, in particular of Reformed theology, and the Puritans. Dave loves to spend time with his wife, going to movies, eating at a nice restaurant, or going out for a round of golf with a good friend. You can find him on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Parler, Truth Social, Youtube, or read his newsletter. He is the author of The Word Explored: The Problem of Biblical Illiteracy and What To Do About It(House to House, 2021) and The Word Matters: Defending Biblical Authority Against the Spirit of the Age (G3 Press, 2022). He serves as the Executive Director of Servants of Grace Ministries, the Executive Editor of Theology for Life Magazine, and is the Host for the Equipping You in Grace Podcast. Dave is a lover of Christ, His people, the Church, and sound theology. He is a writer, editor, and speaker living in beautiful Southern Oregon. Dave Jenkins is happily married to Sarah Jenkins.
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