O.-P. Saar (Univ. Utrecht): Symbols of Identity and Yearning: The Temple in Jewish Funerary Inscriptions

The Jewish Temple, Beit ha-Miqdash, ceased to exist physically in August of the year 70 CE. Its metaphysical and symbolic existence, however, continues to this very day. The Temple also was an important motif in Jewish life during the first centuries after its destruction. This paper will focus on the appearances of the Temple and its related symbols in Jewish funerary contexts: from the menorah’s depicted on the catacomb walls in Rome, to the dating based on the destruction of the Temple in Italian, French and German inscriptions from the medieval period.