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The Second Temple was enlarged by the Roman client king, Herod the Great (r. 47-4 BCE). Today only the Western Wall survives; for centuries it has been known as the Wailing Wall.
Christian Symbolism
Over the course of the first 200 years of Christianity, before freedom of worship was legalized, Christians developed many symbols that served to identify them to each other and to mark the articles of their faith
The first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, alpha and omega, symbolize Christs presence from the beginning to the end of time
Alpha and omega often flank the initials I and X, the first letters of Jesus and Christ in Greek
Christian Rome
By the end of the third century, the Roman Empire included about 5 million Christians, nearly a tenth of the population
In 312 Constantine I (r. 306-337) won a decisive battle after claiming to have seen a vision and then having his troops decorate their shields with crosses In 313 he issued the Edict of Milan, which granted religious freedom to all, ending religious persecution in the Roman Empire
The nave was two stories high, the aisles one story, allowing for a clerestory, a zone with windows that lit the length of the church
Later Christian churches would adopt this ambulatory to encircle the apse
A Syncretic Religion
As the early Christian churches developed from existing Roman plans, the religion itself incorporated many Greek and Roman traditionsa practice known as syncretism From the cult of Bacchus (Roman Dionysus) came the idea of sacrifice (a bull) with the promise of reborn for eternity for whoever received the bulls blood. This ritual occurred near the beginning of the Christian Easter season From the cult of Mithras came baptism, periods of fasting, a communal meal of bread and wine, and sacrifice for the good of humanity. The birthday of Mithras was celebrated each year on December 25
Mithraic Relief
early 3rd century
Following Romes collapse in 476, Constantinople would serve as the center of Christian culture throughout the early Middle Ages
"Building Constantinople
From Trials and Triumphs in Rome: Christianity in the 3rd and 4th Centuries (length: 2:33). Item #9360 1999 on FMG
Hagia Sophia
First Hagia Sophia, erected by Constantines son, Constantius II, had burned Justinian (r. 527-65) hired as architects two mathematicians, Isidorus of Miletus and Anthemius of Tralles
Their completely original design consisted of a giant dome (184 high and 112 in diameter) on a square base, the thrust of the dome carried on four giant arches. Between the arches are triangular curving vault sections, called pendentives
At the base of the dome, 40 windows create a circle of light that makes the dome appear to float above the naos, underscoring its symbolic function as the dome of heaven
Hagia Sophia
532-537
Haloed Justinian carries a paten, the plate on which the bread is placed in celebration of the Eucharist.
The Empress holds a chalice of wine for the Eucharist. On the bottom of her robe are the Three Magi, who like her come bearing gifts to the Virgin and Child.
Hajj: At least once, in the twelfth month of the Muslim calendar, the undertaking of a pilgrimage to Mecca
The Quran
The Quran is a work of poetry that is believed to be the direct word of Allah Translations of the Quran are problematic because the beautiful, melodic qualities of the Arabic language are lost in translation. Further, since the Quran is believed to be the direct word of God as dictated to Muhammad, a translation of the Quran is no longer the Quran In Islamic culture, calligraphyartistic, stylized writingdeveloped into the preeminent form of art. Because the language of divine revelation was believed to have a sacred nature, the writing, too, was thought to have a divinely inspired power
The Mosque
The mosque plan was based on Muhammads house in Medina, which was surrounded by a large, open courtyard, which served as a community gathering place, on the model of the Roman forum Hypostyle (from the Greek hupostulos, resting on pillars)a manycolumned covered area is a required feature of all Muslim mosques Other required features were the qibla, a wall that indicated the direction of Mecca, the minbar, the stepped pulpit for the preacher, and the mihrab, a niche commemorating the spot at Medina where Muhammad planted his lance to indicate the direction in which people should pray
The Kaaba
Center of the Haram Mosque, Mecca
The mosque was the umbilical cord that linked the faithful to their cultural center and spiritual home; it served as the community meetinghouse, courthouse, council chamber, military complex, administrative center, and eventually grew to have teaching colleges, or madrasas
This mosque was built by Mansa Moussa, the fabulously wealthy king of Timbuktu who embarked on a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1334, distributing so much gold along the way to the poor that in Egypt the value of gold fell dramatically and did not recover for a number of years.
Troubled by the suffering of humankind, he abandoned the luxurious lifestyle to live six years in the wilderness
Buddhism, which aims to end suffering, became the official state religion of India as a reaction to warfare
It is a deeply symbolic form, consisting first and foremost of a hemispheric dome (the Dome of Heaven). Atop the dome is a small square platform supporting three circular discs or umbrellas (the tree under which Buddha achieved enlightenment and the three levels of Buddhist consciousness)