Art of Jewish, early Christian, and Byzantine Art

Menorah:
- Symbolizes the end of exile or paradise for the Jewish people.
- Often used during the holiday season with candles, reminding them of the end of exile and paradise.
Ram's Horn:
- Symbolizes ceremonial occasions.
- Used by blowing to make a loud noise.
Citron:
- A fruit symbolizing the harvest and prosperity.
- Represents celebration time when the harvest came.

Wall with Torah Niche:
- Depicts scenes from Jewish history.
- Used to educate children and pass down their history.
Finding of Baby Moses:
- Figures are static with not a lot of movement.
- Two-dimensional style with frontal poses.
- Strong outlines and flat colors.
- Important story in the Jewish religion, used to educate children and preserve their history.

Edict of Milan (Issued by Constantine):
- Granted freedom to worship any god within the Roman Empire.
- Before this, Christians were persecuted and couldn't worship freely.
Sculptures:
- More rare than paintings before the edict due to persecution.
- Usually made of marble and depicted the shepherd.
- Shepherd symbolized Christ.
Sarcophagus of the Church Of Santa Maria Antiqua:
- A coffin made of rock with relief carvings.
- Contained images symbolic to Christians but seemingly innocuous to pagans.
  - A man teaching symbolized Christ the teacher.
  - A man with a lamb around his neck symbolized the good shepherd.
  - A young boy getting baptized.

Mosaics:
- Began covering church walls.
- Beautiful images depicting Christ and stories from the Bible.
- Public proclamation of beliefs.
Christian Symbols:
- Cross: Representing Christ and sacrifice.
- Good Shepherd: Lambs looking to their shepherd.
- Use of bright colors to publicly express faith.

Byzantine Art:
- Known as the art of the Orthodox Church.
- Christian in nature.
Three Periods:
- Early Byzantine (526 - July).
- Middle Byzantine (August - December).
- Late Byzantine (December - 1453 BCE).

Rabula Gospels:
- Part of a book taken from the gospels, an illustrated gospel book from Monk Rabula.
- Painted on vellum paper (animal skins, thick, sturdy).
- Presents Christian stories through multilevel symbolism.
  - Example: Christ hanging on a cross with people watching.
- Inspired by church murals and mosaics.
- Colorful and detailed.

Virgin of Vladimir:
- Art was visually powerful during this time.
- Faces of child Christ often looked like miniature adults, a convention of the time.
- Arts reflected the strongly spiritual focus of the wealthy leadership.
- Painted icons of religious figures were thought to have miraculous powers.

Old Testament Trinity (Three Angels Visiting Abraham):
- Represented the Trinity.
- Artists relied on mathematical conventions to create ideal figures.
  - Specific proportions for height and thinness.
  - Long arms and necks.
- Ideal geometry and depiction of human forms.
  - Balanced compositions with geometric shapes (triangles, circles, squares).