JUDAIZATION 255an amulet from the Cairogenizahin which a pregnant woman invokes the
sign of Leo (mazal aryeh) to protect her from evil spirits.^36
In some of the synagogues, the next panel contains a biblical scene or
several at Sepphoris,^37 but at Na’aran, the corresponding panel contains a vine-
scroll pattern peopled with animals .It is perhaps significant that the earliest
pavement, that of Hammat Tiberias, has no such scene but moves directly
from the guardian lions to the zodiac circle .In all the synagogues, these cir-
cles, which occupy the center of the nave and are usually the largest panel,
have certain commonalities .The circles are inscribed in squares that feature
at the angles personifications of the seasons drawn without significant modifi-
cation from Roman domestic decoration (the seasons do not necessarily line
up with the appropriate quadrant of the zodiac, which argues against the view
of Hachlili and others that the synagogue zodiacs were intended to function
as a kind of liturgical calendar); all except Sepphoris contain at the center a
representation of Sol Invictus riding a quadriga, once again derived directly
from Roman iconography .Though the Sepphorites did not hesitate to have
human and even mythological figures (Sagittarius is depicted as a centaur
and, as at Hammat Tiberias, several other figures—most prominently Gem-
ini—appear to be nude) depicted in their synagogue, Sol apparently aroused
anxiety—a strong argument, if any were needed, against the view of Urbach
and his followers that Jews even earlier were simply unaware of what represen-
tations of the gods denoted.^38
Aramaic and Greek tend to prevail in synagogue inscriptions, but the zodiac
circles invariably feature inscriptions in Hebrew, perhaps because it was under-
stood to be the language of creation, of the cosmos, or of God .In any case, the
use of Hebrew marks the zodiac as somehow special.^39 At Sepphoris, too, the
signs and the seasons are marked in Hebrew, but the seasons are marked in
Greek as well (perhaps because the seasons belong also to the earth?), and
the quadriga circle is surrounded by a narrow band containing a dedicatory
inscription in Greek .The Sepphoris zodiac is also unique in identifying the
signs of the zodiac with months (thus Libra is marked bothmoznayimand
Tishri, Scorpio both’aqravand Marheshvan, and so on) and here the signs of
the zodiac do line up correctly with the seasons represented in the angles of
(^36) Leo is also asked to “stand and pray and beseech for her in front of the King of all kings...
so that all kinds of demons be driven away from her.” See Naveh and Shaked,Magic Spells and
Formulae, genizah text no .10.
(^37) Weiss and Netzer,Promise and Redemption, p .32; on biblical scenes in general, see Hach-
lili,Ancient Jewish Art, pp .287–300 .Hachlili somehow states as fact that “the scenes had in
common the illustration of the theme of salvation and were associated with prayers offered in
time of drought [!]... there was no intention of using these themes for symbolic or didactic
purposes.”
(^38) Urbach, “Rabbinical Laws of Idolatry.”
(^39) See S .Schwartz, “Language, Power, and Identity,” 31–35.