II.

Ancient Times

Jewish architecture, pottery, and seals of biblical and Roman times resembled those of contemporary Phoenicia, Babylonia, and Assyria (see Mesopotamian Art and Architecture). The most famous early structure was the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem, built by the Phoenician Hiram of Tyre in the 10th century bc. No trace of it remains. Archaeological findings include public buildings at Megiddo and the palace of Ahab (9th century bc) in Samaria.

During the Roman period under the rule of Herod the Great, many buildings were constructed in Palestine in the classical Roman style. Chief among them was Herod's Temple in Jerusalem (1st century bc). The famous Western Wall, also called the Wailing Wall, is an original part of its surrounding wall. The amphitheater in Caesarea and the palace in Masada also belong to this period. Many synagogues were built in Palestine and elsewhere, especially after the Romans destroyed Herod's Temple in ad70 and dispersed the Jews. The synagogues were usually modeled on Roman basilicas. Many features, such as the sanctuary for the Torah scroll at the far end and separate areas for men and women, were adopted in Early Christian churches and survive in Eastern churches. The synagogues were ornamented with carved stone capitals and friezes. The synagogue of Dura-Europos (3rd cent. ad) in Syria is decorated with wall paintings of scenes from the Hebrew Scriptures in a Hellenistic-Persian style. Many synagogues had splendid mosaic floors in the Roman and Byzantine manner, as, for example, in the 6th-century synagogue of Bet Alpha in Galilee and in the synagogue of ancient Sardis (now in Turkey).

The Jews buried their dead in carved sarcophagi, resembling Roman ones, which were interred in burial chambers or catacombs; a notable example is the huge necropolis of Bet She'Arim (1st-4th cent. ad) in Israel. The walls were sometimes painted or carved with Jewish religious symbols such as the menorah.