History of Judaica Art

The history of Judaica art dates back to the				designer of holy garments. He also was known
dawn of history, though only a few pieces have				for creating the Tabernacle that contained the
survived through all this time. There are some				Ark of the Covenant.
Jewish manuscripts with beautiful illustrations, in				The menorah is a ritual object that was kept with
parts of Syria there are ruins of a synagogue,				the Ark, its form likely taken from the Eastern
and mosaics in Beth Alpha.				Tree of Life, which symbolizes the end of exile
The Jewish people migrated to Egypt and lived				and the paradise to come. Consecrated objects,
for hundreds of years until oppressed by a				like the Torah scrolls which included the first
pharaoh. Moses led them from slavery back to				books of the Scriptures (Leviticus, Numbers,
Canaan, which they saw as a Promised Land. This				Genesis, Exodus, and Deuteronomy), were publicly
is the land between the Jordan River and the				read but kept in shrines.
Mediterranean Sea, which was later called				Jews were forbidden to create art objects that
Palestine.				could be worshiped as idols, and this applied mainly
Hebrew Scriptures tell us that God confirmed his				to sculpture. During the Roman Empire, Judaica art
sacred connection with them and gave Moses the				combined Near Eastern and classical Roman and
Tablets of the Law, containing the Ten				Greek elements to depict symbolic and narrative
Commandments, on the journey. These art				subjects. From these artifacts grew Christian art
pieces were kept in the sacred Ark of the				as well, since Christianity rose from Judaism.
Covenant, which was a gold-covered wooden box				Christian art drew its imagery and styles from
piece built according to Hebrew Scriptures. The				Jewish art in a process called syncretism. For
Ark was carried with the Israelites until they				instance, there are some examples of worshipers
conquered the land of Canaan and built a temple				with outstretched arms that might be Jewish art,
in Jerusalem where the important pieces, the				Christian, or Pagan. These orant Judaica art figures
menorah and ark were placed. This First Temple				can be identified more closely by the context in
was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC, and				which they occur.
a Second Temple was completed 70 years later				Probably the most important of the syncretic
by King Herod.				images is the Good Shepherd. Pagans saw him as
Jewish art ritual objects, books, and scrolls grew				Hermes the shepherd, but in Judaica art and
from Judaism's history and beliefs. Bezalel				Christian art, he is the Good Shepherd written
personified Judaica art, and was the first Jewish				about in the Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd;
artist recorded. He was a sculptor, architect, and				I shall not want.