From Synagogue to Church: Its Beginning, its Definition, its End (Routledge Jewish Studies Series)

By: John Wilkinson

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Synopsis: The designs of synagogues and churches are acknowledged to be very alike. But the designers' procedure was confidential, and so far standard explanations have been unsatisfactory. A synagogue should express heavenly values with earthly materials. This combination was in fact expressed in numbers, for, as Plato said, they linked heaven and earth. Scripture described both the Jewish Tabernacle and Temple with a wealth of numbers. Proportions based on these numbers were used to design synagogues. Only a few Jewish documents survive, but they reveal a symbolism, which Christians sometimes repeat. The synagogue sanctuary was designed to contain the 'Holy Ark', and the mosaic floors reveal the point 'Before the Ark' for the prayers and readings. These places faced each other, with the idea that God was facing his people. The synagogue was seen as facing heaven and in church buildings Christians repeated the same proportions. This was a joint tradition among Jews and Christians. It was easy to design, was carried out secretly and accurately, and - without a computer - was extremely hard to unravel. This book, for the first time, does just that.

Book Quality:: Publisher Quality
Book Size:: 304 Pages
ISBN-13:: 9781317832423
Related ISBNs:: 9780700713202, 9781315823621, 9780415592659
Publisher:: Taylor and Francis
Date of Addition:: 10/27/23
Copyrighted By:: John Wilkinson
Adult content:: No
Language:: English
Has Image Descriptions:: No
Categories:: History, Nonfiction, Art and Architecture, Religion and Spirituality, Social Studies
Submitted By:: Bookshare Staff
Usage Restrictions:: This is a copyrighted book.