Conference program: “The Synagogue in Ancient Palestine” (Helsinki, Sept 21-24, 2016)
Wednesday September 21, 2016
| 18:00 | Public lecture organized by the Finnish Institute in the Middle East (FIME): “Samson in Stone: New Discoveries in the Ancient Village and Synagogue at Huqoq in Israel’s Galilee”, Prof. Dr. Jodi Magness (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) |
| 19:00 | Reception for conference participants |
Thursday September 22, 2016
| 9:15-9:30 | Opening words by organizers |
| Session 1: Contextualizing synagogue art | |
| 9:30-10:20 | Keynote lecture: Visual vs. Virtual Reality: Interpreting Synagogue Mosaic Art Zeev Weiss (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel) |
| 10:20-10:50 | A Re-reading of the Japhi’a Circle Géza G. Xeravits (Selye J. University, Slovakia) |
| 10:50-11:20 | Coffee & tea break |
| 11:20-11:50 | The Style of the Synagogue of Beth Alpha Mosaics Lidia Chakovskaya (Moscow State University, Russia) |
| 11:50-12:20 | The Appearance of the Menorah in Ancient Jewish Art Gary Gilbert (Claremont McKenna College, USA) |
| 12:20-13:50 | Lunch break |
| Session 2: Leadership, power and daily life in the synagogues | |
| 13:50-14:40 | Keynote lecture: Writing as Power: Texts, Pictures, and Daily Life in Ancient Levantine Synagogues Karen Gabbay Stern (CUNY Brooklyn College, USA) |
| 14:40-15:10 | The Art of Persuasion: The Socio-Political Context of Public Synagogue Debates in the Second-Temple Period Jordan J. Ryan (McMaster University, Canada) |
| 15:10-15:40 | Coffee & tea break |
| 15:40-16:10 | The Role of Jewish Priests in Early Synagogue Leadership and Worship Matthew J. Grey (Brigham Young University, USA) |
| 16:10-16:40 | The Upper Room as Triclinium? Textual and material evidence Eric Ottenheijm (University of Utrecht, the Netherlands) |
| 17:30-18:30 | Visit to the Helsinki Synagogue (Rabbi Simon Livson) |
| 19:00 | Dinner for conference presenters |
Friday September 23, 2016
| Session 3: Synagogues in the late antique landscape | |
| 9:30-10:20 | Keynote lecture: Floors, Benches, and a Platform. The Synagogue at Horvat Kur as Liturgical Space Jürgen K. Zangenberg (Leiden University, the Netherlands) |
| 10:20-10:50 | Galilean Synagogues in the Context of Ancient Religious Competition Raimo Hakola (University of Helsinki, Finland) |
| 10:50-11:20 | Coffee & tea break |
| 11:20-11:50 | How Many Synagogues Were Found, Where and Why? Chaim Ben David (Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee, Israel) |
| 11:50-12:20 | The Torah shrine in Byzantine synagogues Ulla Tervahauta (University of Helsinki, Finland) |
| 12:20-13:50 | Lunch break |
| Session 4: Early synagogues and the 70 CE ‘watershed’ | |
| 13:50-14:20 | The Early Roman Synagogue at Khirbet Qana Tom McCollough (Centre College, USA) |
| 14:20-14:50 | Reassessing the Impact of 70 CE on the Origins and Development of Palestinian Synagogues Wally Cirafesi & Anders Runesson (University of Oslo, Norway) |
| 14:50-15:20 | Coffee & tea break |
| 15:20-15:50 | A Jewish Village and a Public Building from the Second Temple Period and the Bar Kokhba Revolt at Horvat ‘Ethri, Judean Shephelah Boaz Zissu (Bar Ilan University, Israel) |
| 15:50-16:20 | Early Synagogues: Some thoughts on the why and how of their appearance Rick Bonnie (University of Helsinki, Finland) |
Saturday September 24, 2016
| Session 5: Dating the late antique synagogues | |
| 9:30-10:20 | Keynote lecture: The Huqoq Synagogue: A Regional Variant of the Galilean Type Jodi Magness (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA) |
| 10:20-10:50 | Ancient Synagogue Dating and the Primary Source Data Divide Chad Spigel (Trinity University, USA) |
| 10:50-11:20 | Coffee & tea break |
| 11:20-11:50 | Dating Capernaum Synagogue by Stylistic Method. Some Aspects of its Reconstruction Svetlana Tarkhanova (Russian Academy of Architecture and Building Science, Russia) |
| 11:50-12:20 | Supporting a regional typology of the ancient synagogues in Israel Mordechai Aviam (Kinneret College on the Sea of Galilee, Israel) |
| 12:20-13:00 | Discussion and closing words by organizers |
| 13:00-14:30 | Lunch break |
| 14:30-17:00 | Helsinki city center tour (optional) |
Please note that unforeseen program changes may occur.
To download a booklet with the full program and other information, click here. For the initial call for papers and additional information see here.
Funding for the conference is generously provided by the Centre of Excellence in Changes in Sacred Texts and Traditions and the Centre of Excellence in Reason and Religious Recognition, both Faculty of Theology, University of Helsinki. The conference is organized in co-operation with the Foundation of the Finnish Institute in the Middle East.