Ars Judaica: The Bar-Ilan Journal of Jewish Art, Volume 9

Ars Judaica is an annual publication of the Department of JewishArt at Bar-Ilan University. It showcases theJewish contribution to the visual arts and architecture from antiquity to thepresent from a variety of perspectives, including history, iconography,semiotics, psychology, sociology, and folklore. As such it is a valuableresource for art historians, collectors, curators, and all those interested inthe visual arts.In this volume, Avraham Faust considers a unique phenomenon in thematerial culture of ancient Israel during the biblical period: pottery withoutpainted decoration. Moshe Idel, an expert on Jewish mysticism, sheds new lighton the figure of Helios in the Hammath Tiberias synagogue mosaic, comparing itto descriptions of angel ‘Anafi’el in the Heikhalot literature and medievalKabbalistic texts. Rahel Fronda attributes a group of medieval Ashkenazi Biblemanuscripts containing similar micrographic ornaments to the same scribal workshop,possibly near Würzburg. Alexander Mishory reveals a Scroll of Estherilluminated by one of the first Bezalel artists, Shmuel Ben-David, and focuseson his use of fowl and fox imagery deriving from an Arab fable. ArturTanikowski discusses social awareness and humanist values in the work of Polishmodernists of Jewish origin. The Special Itemby Nurit Sirkis Bank is dedicated to hasidic wedding rings. A silver ring,square on the outside, round within, and engraved with the Hebrew letter he is understood as a symbol of unityand harmony between man and woman, the human and the Divine, nature andculture, and even good and evil.Contributor Information:Walter Cahn, Professor, History of Art Department, Yale University, Avraham Faust, Director, Tel 'Eton Excavations, Institute of Archaeology, Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, Bar-Ilan University, Rahel Fronda, Hebraica and Judaica Subject Librarian, Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, Carole Herselle Krinsky, Professor, Art History Department, New York University, Moshe Idel, Professor, Department of Jewish Thought, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Senior Researcher, Shalom Hartman Institute, David Malkiel, Professor, Department of Jewish History, Bar-Ilan University, Alec Mishory, independent scholar, Israel, Ilia Rodov, Lecturer, Department of Jewish Art, Bar-Ilan University, Nurit Sirkis Bank, Curator, Wolfson Museum of Jewish Art, Hechal Shlomo; doctoral candidate, Bar-Ilan University, David Stern, Professor, Jewish Studies Faculty, University of Pennsylvania, Artur Tanikowski, Graphic Department, Academy of Fine Arts, Warsaw; Faculty of Humanities, Fryderyk Chopin Uiversity of Music, Warsaw; Curator, Museum of the History of Polish Jews, WarsawVolumes of ArsJudaica are distributed by the Littman Library of Jewish Civilizationthroughout the world, except Israel. Orders and enquiries from Israelicustomers should be directed to:Ars JudaicaDepartment of Jewish ArtBar-Ilan UniversityRamat-Gan 52900Telephone: 03 5318413Email: ajudaica@mail.biu.ac.il