CHAPTER SEVEN
JEWISH AND EARLY CHRISTIAN ART
7
Multiple Choice
1. Which term describes the followers of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam that believe that only
one god created and rules the universe?
A. polytheistic
B. monotheistic
C. post theistic
D. unitheistic
2. From which period do most of the earliest surviving examples of Jewish art date?
A. Neo-Babylonian and Egyptian
B. Hellenistic and Roman
C. Minoan and Mycenaean
D. Persian and Greek
3. What was considered suspect because Jewish law prohibited the worship of idols?
A. narrative subjects
B. symbolic imagery
C. sculpture in the round
D. abstract forms
4. The first synagogue at Dura Europos was located in a
A. temple.
B. catacomb.
C. basilica.
D. house.
5. The small rooms in catacombs that were frequently plastered and painted were called
A. cubicula.
B. loculi.
C. lunettes.
D. ceilings.
6. Discoveries at Dura-Europos in the 1930s contradicted what long-held scholarly belief?
A. Early Christians did not decorate their places of worship.
B. Jews of this period did not create any sort of figural art.
C. Early Christian congregations were never more than 20 to 25 people for fear of discovery
D. Jews of this period used purely original iconography.
7. What did Early Christians often employ as prefigurations of important events in the Christian
Bible?
A. stories from Greek mythology
B. accounts from Roman history
C. episodes from the Hebrew Bible
D. tales from the Ancient Near East
8. What is the significance of the contrast between the plain exterior of the Oratory of Galla
Placidia (Figs. 7-19, 7-20, and 7-21) and its highly decorated interior?
A. It reflects the economic needs to limit the decorative programs of churches.
B. It symbolizes the transition from the real world into a supernatural realm.
C. It is the result of later generations stripping the original decoration from the exterior.
D. It symbolizes Christianity’s development from humble origins to a great religion.
9. In the Catacomb of Commodilla, Jesus is depicted as
A. King of Heaven.
B. a teacher.
C. the son of God.
D. a judge.
10. The Eucharist is an elaborate ceremony in Christian worship involving the ritual
consumption of bread and wine, which are identified as Christ’s
A. heart and soul.
B. mind and spirit.
C. body and blood.
D. food and drink.
11. Most examples of Early Christian sculpture created before the fourth century are
A. large free-standing figures.
B. sarcophagi and small statues.
C. found in places of worship.
D. portable diptychs used for private devotion.
12. Why were central-plan structures used for baptisteries, as well as for martyrs’ churches and
tombs?
A. Christians “died” in baptism and were reborn as believers.
B. The rotunda was logistically well suited for the ritual of baptism.
C. There was no need for congregational space.
D. Early Christians adhered to existing Roman burial practices.
13. The Good Shepherd, a Christian symbol that was based on pagan images of Apollo, Hermes,
and Orpheus, is considered an example of
A. prefiguration.
B. symbolism.
C. syncretism.
D. typological parallel.
14. Any large room where Torah scrolls are kept and read publicly can function as a
A. synagogue.
B. church.
C. basilica.
D. martyrium.
15. Which two words are typically used to describe Christian art?
A. symbolic; narrative
B. allegorical; metaphorical
C. symbolic; iconic
D. iconic; narrative
16.Which scene from the life of Jesus shows the archangel Gabriel informing the Virgin Mary
that God has chosen her to bear his Son?
A. Visitation
B. Annunciation
C. Nativity
D. Baptism
17. The wall between the nave arcade and the clerestory in Early Christian churches was
typically decorated with
A. mosaics.
B. stained glass.
C. reliefs.
D. stucco.
18. What did Jews and Christians use for burials and funerary ceremonies, not as places of
worship?
A. basilicas
B. martyria
C. catacombs
D. synagogues
19. The mosaics in the rotunda of St. George in Thessaloniki depict
A. gods and goddesses.
B. Jonah and the Whale.
C. Christ as the Good Shepherd.
D. standing saints.
20. What features do both the figures and the backdrop of the mosaics in the rotunda of St.
George possess?
A. tetrarchic
B. highly abstract
C. classical
D. pagan
21. Which daughter of the Roman emperor Theodosius I ruled the western part of the Roman
Empire as regent for her son?
A. Helena
B. Galla Placidia
C. Constantia
D. Beta Alpha
22. What symbolizes eternal life in the Oratory of Galla Placidia?
A. bookcases
B. doves flanking a fountain
C. floral designs
D. geometric patterns
23. The image of Christ in the Cubiculum of Leonis is iconic because
A. it is located in a catacomb.
B. he appears as the Good Shepherd.
C. he performs miracles.
D. it symbolizes an idea.
24. The peacocks on the Sarcophagus of Constantina symbolize
A. Bacchian ritual.
B. religious freedom.
C. eternal life in paradise.
D. the Eucharist.
25. What innovative feature of St. Peter’s provided space for the clergy and pilgrims?
A. aisles
B. apse
C. nave
D. transept
Short Answer
1. What are the basic beliefs of the Jews, the Christians, and the Muslims?
2. What is the origin of the Jewish people?
3. What is the history of the First and Second Temple in Jerusalem?
4. What are at least two types of synagogue designs?
5. Geographically and administratively, how was the early church organized?
6. What are the different types of Christian art in existence from the time before Constantine?
7. What was the purpose of baptism?
8. What was the purpose of the Edict of Milan?
9. How does Santa Costanza represent a tholos?
10. What scenes are portrayed in the Mosaic Floor of the Beth Alpha Synagogue (Fig. 7-5)?
Essay
1. Discuss the iconographic motifs that developed during the Early Christian period for
representing events from the Life of Christ.
2. Trace the development of Early Christian architecture from its origins in pagan structures.
3. How do Classical themes and symbols continue to be incorporated into Christian art and
architecture?
4. Describe the form, perspective, and composition of The Good Shepherd (Fig. 7-21).
5. Compare and contrast the decorative characteristics of the interiors and exteriors of Early
Christian churches, such as the Church of Santa Sabina, Rome, and Galla Placidia, Ravenna.