From Synagogue to Church: The Traditional Design

Its Beginning, its Definition, its End

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, Architecture, History, Religion & Spirituality, Reference, Judaism
Cover of the book From Synagogue to Church: The Traditional Design by John Wilkinson, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: John Wilkinson ISBN: 9781317832423
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: April 4, 2014
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: John Wilkinson
ISBN: 9781317832423
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: April 4, 2014
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

The designs of synagogues and churches are acknowledged to be very alike. But the designers' procedure was confidential, and so far standard explanations have been unsatisfactory. A synagogue should express heavenly values with earthly materials. This combination was in fact expressed in numbers, for, as Plato said, they linked heaven and earth. Scripture described both the Jewish Tabernacle and Temple with a wealth of numbers. Proportions based on these numbers were used to design synagogues.
Only a few Jewish documents survive, but they reveal a symbolism, which Christians sometimes repeat. The synagogue sanctuary was designed to contain the 'Holy Ark', and the mosaic floors reveal the point 'Before the Ark' for the prayers and readings. These places faced each other, with the idea that God was facing his people. The synagogue was seen as facing heaven and in church buildings Christians repeated the same proportions. This was a joint tradition among Jews and Christians. It was easy to design, was carried out secretly and accurately, and - without a computer - was extremely hard to unravel. This book, for the first time, does just that.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The designs of synagogues and churches are acknowledged to be very alike. But the designers' procedure was confidential, and so far standard explanations have been unsatisfactory. A synagogue should express heavenly values with earthly materials. This combination was in fact expressed in numbers, for, as Plato said, they linked heaven and earth. Scripture described both the Jewish Tabernacle and Temple with a wealth of numbers. Proportions based on these numbers were used to design synagogues.
Only a few Jewish documents survive, but they reveal a symbolism, which Christians sometimes repeat. The synagogue sanctuary was designed to contain the 'Holy Ark', and the mosaic floors reveal the point 'Before the Ark' for the prayers and readings. These places faced each other, with the idea that God was facing his people. The synagogue was seen as facing heaven and in church buildings Christians repeated the same proportions. This was a joint tradition among Jews and Christians. It was easy to design, was carried out secretly and accurately, and - without a computer - was extremely hard to unravel. This book, for the first time, does just that.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Goddess and the Warrior by John Wilkinson
Cover of the book Public Enterprise in Monopolistic and Oligopolistic Enterprises by John Wilkinson
Cover of the book Data Elicitation for Second and Foreign Language Research by John Wilkinson
Cover of the book Bodies by John Wilkinson
Cover of the book Revival: Outlines of Buddhism: A historical sketch (1934) by John Wilkinson
Cover of the book Hunger and Shame by John Wilkinson
Cover of the book The Politics of Decentralization by John Wilkinson
Cover of the book Talking Sense in Science by John Wilkinson
Cover of the book Dealing with Disruptive Students in the Classroom by John Wilkinson
Cover of the book Violence and Non-Violence in Africa by John Wilkinson
Cover of the book Accounting for Ethnic and Racial Diversity by John Wilkinson
Cover of the book Introducing Teachers’ Writing Groups by John Wilkinson
Cover of the book Speaking for the Dead: Cadavers in Biology and Medicine by John Wilkinson
Cover of the book Lloyd George by John Wilkinson
Cover of the book The International Legal Governance of the Human Genome by John Wilkinson
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy