The Christian Building and the Jewish Synagogue Essay

The Christian Building and the Jewish Synagogue - Essay Example The Dura-Europos synagogue is referred to by some as "Pompeii of the Syrian Desert†, due to the remarkable preservation it underwent. The Dura exhibited a rectangular shape of the grid, and was located in close proximity with the central agora streets.The location of the Dora on the main crossroads made it a cosmopolitan city, according to inscriptions with multiple languages, together with numerous religious buildings for Jews, Pagans, and Christians that lay side by side (Davies and Whitehead 175). Dura Europos was abandoned after the Sassanian siege that took place between 254 and late 256. During the last gasp of saving the city, the synagogue got filled in in-order to make a fortress, thus facilitating its preservation. This was followed by eventual covering of the city with shifting sands that caused its disappearance. Architectural PortraitThe Dura Europos was largely made of the mud-brick architecture, but its siege works and walls had the dramatic remains that combined with the precipitous views on the Euphrates green valley that made for the striking sight (Olin 10). Being a cosmopolitan society, the Dura-Europos exhibited many inscriptions of different origins, including Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Safaic and the Palmyrenean. Among the Dura Euporos homes, there were three that were converted for religious purposes. For instance, the Mithraem was dedicated to Mithras god worship, and another one had its structure modified to create a synagogue for the Jews (Feugere 723).