The narrative murals of Dura Europos, Syria (3rd Century) reveal the oldest Jewish figurative pictorial narratives. A closer study of the depiction of Abraham, poses some questions about the stylistic departure away from frontality.

1. Abraham Upfront: Frontality in the Dura Europos Narrative By Paige Dansinger

2. Palmyra Gate, Dura Europos

3. Map of Palestine, Madaba, 6 th -century Dura Europos

4. Dura Europos Blessing, The Dura Europos Liturgical Parchment. Western Wall, “Wall Street”, Dura Europos

5. Reconstructed interior of the house church at Yale, and Temple of Bel at Dura Europos. Temple of Mithras at Dura and Healing of the Paralytic mural in the house church Sacrificing to the Palmyrene Gods, Dura Europos

6. The Seleucid Empire: Seleucus Coin and Coin of Bagadates I , 290-280 BCE "Always lying in wait for the neighboring nations, strong in arms and persuasive in council, he [Seleucus] acquired Mesopotamia, Armenia, 'Seleucid' Cappadocia, Persis, Parthia, Bactria, Arabia, Tapouria, Sogdia, Arachosia, Hyrcania, and other adjacent peoples that had been subdued by Alexander, as far as the river Indus, so that the boundaries of his empire were the most extensive in Asia after that of Alexander. The whole region from Phrygia to the Indus was subject to Seleucus." — Appian , The Syrian Wars

7. Ancient Synagogues in the Diaspora Sardis, Delos, Tiberius, Aegina, Ostia, Capernaum,

8. Western Wall, Dura Europos Synagogue

9. Dura Europos Synagogue Reconstruction

10. The Torah Shrine, Dura Europos

11. The Binding of Isaac, Bet Alpha Synagogue Mosaic

12. The Zodiac Panel, Beth Alpha Synagogue Mosaic, 6 th -century

13. Infancy of Moses, Dura Europos The Exodus (detail), Dura Europos

14. Daniel and the Lions , Sfax near Carthage, 6 th C. King David Playing the Lyre, Synagogue at Gaza, 6 th C Oldest Written Song. Dedicated to the Moon-Goddess, Syria 3400 Years Old, Cuneiform

15. The Purim Procession, Dura Europos

16. The Closed Temple, Dura Europa The Temple of Aaron, Dura Europos

17. Roman Gold Glass, 4 th -century “ I should like to show Posidonius some glassblower who, by his breath, molds the glass into many shapes which scarcely could be created by the most skillful hand.” (Seneca, Moral Letters to Lucilium XC.31)

18. The Sacrifice of Isaac, Dura Europos

19. Mosaic with Good-luck Symbols. Antioch, 5 th -century

20. Abraham Upfront: Frontality in the Dura Europos Narrative

21. <object width=&quot;425&quot; height=&quot;355&quot;><param name=&quot;movie&quot; value=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/v/7KRnAKzFMhk&hl=en&quot;></param><param name=&quot;wmode&quot; value=&quot;transparent&quot;></param><embed src=&quot;http://www.youtube.com/v/7KRnAKzFMhk&hl=en&quot; type=&quot;application/x-shockwave-flash&quot; wmode=&quot;transparent&quot; width=&quot;425&quot; height=&quot;355&quot;></embed></object>