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History => Ancient and Medieval History => Topic started by: Swampster on August 23, 2020, 08:00:24 PM

Title: Another interpretation of the Jews and Elephants mosaic
Post by: Swampster on August 23, 2020, 08:00:24 PM
http://soa.org.uk/sm/index.php?topic=3934.msg51552#msg51552 has some of the interpretations.

https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-huqoq-elephant-mosaic-explained/ has another.
I suspect a few leaps have been made.
Title: Re: Another interpretation of the Jews and Elephants mosaic
Post by: Duncan Head on August 23, 2020, 09:57:22 PM
Hmm.

1. I can't see a peyot on the king. Nor, indeed, on any of the Jewish figures on the left or below.

2. On this interpretation, why the elephants? None of the armies involved in the Jewish Revolt used them.

3. Does "giving a defective calf to the Jerusalem priesthood" explain why some of the "priests" on the left are drawing their swords? The story doesn't appear to suggest any actual fighting over it.

4. "Yet in Josephus Flavius' Jewish War, it was King (Izates) Monobazus and Kenadaeus of Adiabene who started the Jewish Revolt, when they defeated the Roman legion commanded by the Syrian governor, Cestius" - actually Josephus lists " the kinsmen of Monobazus king of Adiabene, and their names were Monobazus and Kenedeus" as being amongst the most valiant of those Jews who were killed during the defeat of Cestius' legion, he gives them no credit for being the leaders or having any responsibility for starting the revolt.

Not at all convinced.
Title: Re: Another interpretation of the Jews and Elephants mosaic
Post by: Jim Webster on August 24, 2020, 07:13:10 AM
There may be something in front of the King's ear, but it doesn't 'hang' as you'd expect

Cannot see anything similar worn by the 'priests'