West wall of sanctuary of synagogue
Date 245-46 CE
Movement Early Jewish
Medium Tempera on plaster
Provenance Dura-Europos, Syria
Reconstructed in the National Museum, Damascus, Syria
Tempera paintings from this synagogue remain in fantastic shape—the rubble from the Persian invasion in the early 3rd century kept them well- protected. This wall, facing Jerusalem, contains a niche that would have housed the Torrah. These painted scenes would have helped guide religious rites and rituals that took place within this synagogue.