The Sacrifice of Isaac from the Dura-Europos Synagogue

The Sacrifice of Isaac from the Dura-Europos Synagogue

The Sacrifice of Isaac from the Dura-Europos Synagogue, 3rd century, Roman, Dura-Europos, Syria, tempera over plaster, Damascus, The National Museum of Damascus.

The town of Dura-Europos in Syria existed on the frontier between the Roman Empire and the Parthian and the Sassanian Empires of Persia. It was under Roman control from 165 CE until its final destruction by the Sassanians in 257 CE. During this short period, the synagogue was built and decorated with numerous wall paintings showing animals, vegetal motifs, as well as figures, which was a shock to archeologists. An inscription in Aramaic dated 244 CE marks the completion of the final stage of construction. This detail shows the Sacrifice of Isaac (also called the “Binding of Isaac” in Hebrew: עֲקֵידַת יִצְחַק, Aqedat Yitzhaq), which occurs in Genesis chapter 22. In the story, Abraham is commanded by God to sacrifice his only son, Isaac, on Mount Moriah. Although Abraham binds Isaac and begins to go through with the sacrifice, he is interrupted by an angel and sees a ram, which he sacrifices in Isaac’s place. This scene eventually becomes a fixture in Christian art. The archeological site of the synagogue at Dura-Europos was discovered in 1932. The wall paintings were subsequently moved to the National Museum of Damascus. Although the museum closed in 2012 with the rise of the Syrian Civil War, some 300,000 items were secured and hidden. Four of the museum’s five wings reopened in 2018. Dura-Europos itself was occupied by ISIL and it appears that the remains of the synagogue as well as the other excavated buildings have been destroyed.

https://www.thebyzantinelegacy.com/dura-synagogue

The National Museum of Damascus