Reply To: Graven Images

[Kaitlyn]

The early Jewish and Christian art definitely has some difference from the other civilizations art we have seen so far. In comparison to previous cultures, for the most part early Jewish and Christian art doesn’t represent images of false idols, and they don’t depict multiple gods, instead they only mention one, Christ, and he is not actually shown in these pieces of art work. I found that there is an exception; the “ZODIAC MOSAIC AT THE BEIT ALPHA SYNAGOGUE” shows Helios, a Greco-Roman sun god, but I think that is one of the only times another god is shown. There are images of saints, for instance “THE ORATORY OF GALLA PLACIDIA” or the madonna with child, but I don’t believe those were created with the intention of worship so they wouldn’t be considered graven images. So overall no figure was being represented as a god in any of the Jewish or Christian artwork, they were not being intended for worship as we have seen in other cultures.