UC Davis

This thesis explores the presence of Pagan religious iconography within the zodiac mosaic at the sixth century CE Beth Alpha synagogue in present day Israel/Palestine. Pagan imagery was adapted from the dominant Roman culture to adhere to Jewish monotheistic beliefs, by using Helios imagery to refer to God or the Messiah. The Jewish community at Beth Alpha utilized the broader Pagan imagery of Helios, the zodiac, and the seasons to explain aspects of their time, place, and personhood in a way that fit within Pagan and Christian cultures. This paper additionally uses literary sources to connect imagery on Beth Alpha’s mosaic floor to broader Late Antique Judaism. The author argues that the imagery is reminiscent of David as the prayer and liturgical leader of the Jewish people. This paper concludes by arguing for the modern scholar to view these mosaics as neither solely decorative nor religious. The Beth Alpha mosaics are a unique insight into the transformation of foreign motifs into Jewish material religion and culture interpretations of God and David.