The Crescent on the Temple
The Dome of the Rock as Image of the Ancient Jewish Sanctuary
Published on 7. June 2012
Book
Hardback
394 pages
978-90-04-20300-6 (ISBN)
Description
"The Crescent on the Temple" by Pamela Berger elucidates an obscured tradition-how the Dome of the Rock came to stand for the Temple of Solomon in Christian, Muslim, and Jewish art. The crusaders called the Dome of the Rock the "Temple of the Lord," while Muslim imagery depicted Solomon enthroned within the domed structure. Jews knew that the ancient Temple had been destroyed. Nevertheless, in their imagery, they commonly labeled the Muslim shrine "The Temple." That domed "Temple" was often represented with a crescent on top. This iconography, long hidden in plain sight, reflects one aspect of an historical affinity between Jews and Muslims.
Reviews / Votes
Berger makes both a monumental historical contribution convincingly revealing a past that has been obscured as well as making us think about the times we live in. Hopefully, the "shock," to quote Nohad Ali, produced by this book will have an influence on political and religious leaders alike-for the benefit of peace and returned inter-religiosity in Jerusalem. - Curtis Hutt, University of Nebraska at Omaha, in: International Dialogue, A Multidisciplinary Journal of World Affairs 3, 2013.More details
Series
Edition
xxvi, 368 pp.
Language
English
Place of publication
Leiden
Netherlands
Target group
Professional and scholarly
All readers interested in the artistic, religious and intellectual history of the Jewish, Christian and Muslim worlds, especially those drawn to iconographic interpretation.
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 239 mm
Width: 163 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
680 gr
ISBN-13
978-90-04-20300-6 (9789004203006)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Pamela Berger, Ph.D. (1974), Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, is a Professor of Art History and Film at Boston College. Her articles and books, including The Goddess Obscured (Beacon Press, 1984), focus on iconographic interpretation.