Why are there flames coming off the Migdal stone's "rosettes" on the narrow side, when that is not case for the comparables mentioned?
"Could it be that the bones of every deceased Jew were collected into a container that ancient people perceived as a model of Temple's Holy of Holies?" Ask that question again in light of these two scriptural passages: Ezek 37.3 “And he said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?”; 4 Macc. 18.17 “…affirmed the words of Ezekiel, ‘Can these dry bones live?’” Ossuaries came into use fairly closely in conjunction with Herodian Temple improvements - any architectural and iconographical additions from that time would be better known. The concurrent practice of "dry bones" collected in ossuaries after a year would reflect the eschatological belief in resurrection symbolized by the reanimation of bones (and in addition to that thought about the bones, notably the chariot is also featured in Ezekiel). By inscribing chariot wheels directly on the container of the dry bones, the dead was symbolically placing himself before the divine for judgement. There is nothing "Da Vinci Code-esque" about that postulation.
Finally, this fine-tuning of Aviam's original thesis is much more convincing IMO: Richard Bauckham, "Further Thoughts on the Migdal Synagogue Stone", Novum Testamentum, Vol. 57, Fasc. 2 (2015), pp. 113-135.
Thanks in advance for your consideration of these comments,
John
Why are there flames coming off the Migdal stone's "rosettes" on the narrow side, when that is not case for the comparables mentioned?
"Could it be that the bones of every deceased Jew were collected into a container that ancient people perceived as a model of Temple's Holy of Holies?" Ask that question again in light of these two scriptural passages: Ezek 37.3 “And he said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?”; 4 Macc. 18.17 “…affirmed the words of Ezekiel, ‘Can these dry bones live?’” Ossuaries came into use fairly closely in conjunction with Herodian Temple improvements - any architectural and iconographical additions from that time would be better known. The concurrent practice of "dry bones" collected in ossuaries after a year would reflect the eschatological belief in resurrection symbolized by the reanimation of bones (and in addition to that thought about the bones, notably the chariot is also featured in Ezekiel). By inscribing chariot wheels directly on the container of the dry bones, the dead was symbolically placing himself before the divine for judgement. There is nothing "Da Vinci Code-esque" about that postulation.
Finally, this fine-tuning of Aviam's original thesis is much more convincing IMO: Richard Bauckham, "Further Thoughts on the Migdal Synagogue Stone", Novum Testamentum, Vol. 57, Fasc. 2 (2015), pp. 113-135.
Thanks in advance for your consideration of these comments,
John