Location: Modern-day Syria, along the Euphrates River.
Founded: Around 303 BCE by a successor of Alexander the Great.
Strategic Importance: A trade crossroads with natural and fortified defenses.
Cultural Significance: Home to diverse cultures and religions including Greece, Rome, Judea, Syria, and Persia.
Roman Control: From 165 CE under Roman Emperor Lucius Verus, including 100 years of Roman rule.
Multicultural Aspects
Ethnic Diversity: Inhabitants included Palmyrans, Mesopotamians, diverse languages, and ethnicities.
Religions: Practiced tolerance; evidence of Greek, Roman, Jewish, Syrian, and Persian gods.
Key Archaeological Findings
Rediscovery: During WWI, further explored in the 1920s by British patrols and later by Yale and French Academy.
Preservation: City walls were collapsed by the Sasanians, which preserved ruins under sand.
Synagogue and its Significance
Earliest Known Synagogue: Features wall paintings (true wet fresco) depicting figures, which challenges the notion of anti-iconism in Jewish art.
Artifacts: Divided between Yale and French Museum, important for the study of Jewish art.
The House Church (Christianity)
Original Structure: A single-family home built around 232 CE, converted into a church by 240 CE.
Usage: Used for about 15 years before destruction in the Sasanian siege.
Notable Features:
Baptistry: Key element with a tub for full-body immersion and frescoes depicting biblical scenes.
Frescoes: Scenes from the life of Christ, figures in procession, and images of the Good Shepherd.
Artistic Significance
Iconography:
Christ Healing the Paralytic: Double narrative fresco showing Christ performing a miracle.
The Good Shepherd: Depicts Christ caring for his flock, symbolic of guiding the faithful.
Other Frescoes: Include scenes of David and Goliath, Adam and Eve, and various Christ miracles.
Procession Imagery: Common theme in many ancient cultures, highlights human fascination with ceremonial processions.
Modern Comparison
Cathedral of Los Angeles: Features modern tapestries by artist Nava showing a procession of famous Catholic figures, mirroring the ancient themes of procession and faith.
Field Trip Recommendation: Visiting the cathedral can provide visual and thematic connections to the ancient art and processions discussed in the lecture.