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by
Doug Ward |
On a tour of Israel in June 2023, my wife Sherry and I had the
opportunity to visit a number of archaeological sites. For example, at Bet Alfa
Synagogue National Park we saw the mosaic floor of a synagogue from the sixth
century AD.
The
Bet Alfa mosaic, uncovered in 1928-29, has three sections. The south section
shows objects used in worship, including menorahs and an ark for Torah scrolls.
The north section illustrates the Akedah, the binding of Isaac from
Genesis 22.
In
between is a square containing two concentric circles. In the four corners of
the square are representations of the four seasons of the year. The area
between the circles is divided into twelve parts containing pictures for each
of the twelve signs of the zodiac. Inside the inner circle is a picture of the
sun, represented by the Greek sun god Helios riding in a chariot driven by four
horses.
Bet
Alfa is not the only synagogue mosaic that includes pictures of the zodiac and
Helios in a chariot. We now know of nine such synagogue mosaics in Israel from
the early Byzantine period. Like many people, I was initially surprised to
learn about these mosaics. What were the zodiac and a sun god doing in
synagogues?
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A
Lesson from Joshua 22 |
In considering such questions, we should avoid jumping to
conclusions. An episode from Israel's history comes to mind. In the days of
Joshua, after Israel had established itself in the land of Canaan, Joshua
released the men from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh to return
to their allotted territory east of the Jordan. As those men headed east, they
stopped near the banks of the Jordan and built "an altar of imposing size"
(Jos 22:10).
When
the other tribes saw this altar, they initially assumed that the eastern tribes
had abandoned the God of Israel and the tabernacle at Shiloh and were
establishing a rival worship center. They prepared for a military confrontation
(vv 11-12). Before attacking, however, they sent a
delegation to talk with the eastern tribes.
The
men from Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh explained that the large altar was not meant
for worship. Instead, it was intended as an expression of Israelite solidarity.
The eastern tribes were going to be separated from the rest of the nation by
the Jordan River, and they wanted their countrymen west of the Jordan to
understand that all twelve tribes were united in following the true God.
The
meaning of the large altar, in other words, was the opposite of what the
western tribes had feared. By meeting to talk about the question and get more
information, the tribes avoided an unnecessary confrontation (vv 13-34).
Joshua
22 illustrates the wisdom of Proverbs 18:13: "If one gives an answer
before he hears, it is his folly and shame." This chapter also reminds us
of the words of Jesus: "Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right
judgment" (Jn 7:24).
We cannot
send a delegation to ask the leaders of the Bet Alfa synagogue about their
mosaic, but we can use our knowledge of history to guess what they might have
told us. Their synagogue was built during the reign of the Christian emperor
Justinian. By this time Jews had been staunch monotheists for centuries, and
both Christians and Jews avoided paganism. So, we know that the mosaic was not
part of some mixture of Judaism and paganism.
For
Jews in the early Byzantine period, the zodiac and sun representations
portrayed, in images familiar to that culture, the order and beauty of the
Universe designed by a sovereign Creator. The mosaic expressed their thanks for
abundant crops and the regular cycle of the seasons. It may have reminded them
of Psalm 19:1-6, a poetic passage that praises God for his creation and
pictures the sun traveling on its daily circuit across the sky.1
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The
Importance of Context and Intention |
The Bible teaches that the appropriateness of a given worship
symbol depends upon the context. Shortly before the Israelites entered the
Promised Land, Moses warned, "You shall not plant any tree as an Asherah
beside the altar of the Lord your God that you shall make. And you shall not
set up a pillar, which the Lord your God hates" (Dt 16:21-22). An Asherah
was a sacred pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah, and pillars were associated
with the Canaanite god Ba'al (see 2 Ki 3:2;
10:26-27). Ba'al and Asherah were a
"couple" in the Canaanite pantheon (1 Ki 18:19; 2 Ki 23:4), and Moses
was concerned that the Israelites would be drawn to these pagan deities.
We
see elsewhere in the Bible, though, that the use of poles and pillars was not
wrong in and of itself. The patriarchs sometimes used these symbols in worship
or in making covenants (Gen 21:33; 28:18-22; 31:43-54; 35:14). But for the
later Israelites entering Canaan, these symbols were part of the worship of Ba'al and Asherah and were therefore to be avoided.
A
key factor here is the intent of the worshipers. For the patriarchs a pole or
pillar symbolized the presence of God and was an appropriate symbol; but for
later Israelites, these were part of syncretistic worship that included
Canaanite deities (2 Ki 21:1-9). For the worshipers at the Bet Alfa synagogue, the
zodiac and sun imagery were meant to praise the God of Israel, not honor
Helios. Their mosaic was not pagan.
I
believe there is a lesson here for a controversy that arises each December.
What about the celebration of Christmas, and in particular the use of Christmas
trees, given their possible associations with Nordic paganism? Since those who
celebrate Christmas do so to honor Jesus, not follow pagan deities, we should
not condemn their worship as pagan. Again, in worship it is the intent that
matters.
1For
further thoughts on the symbolism of the mosaics, see for example Zeev Weiss, "The Zodiac in Ancient Synagogue Art:
Cyclical Order and Divine Power," pp. 1119-1130 in La Mosaique Gréco-Romaine IX,
Volume 1, edited by Hélène Morlier,
Ecole Francaise de Rome, 2005.
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On 20 Oct 2023, 12:49.
