Drs. BeDuhn and Gulácsi have spent most of their careers studying the Manichaean religion, including the complex cultural interactions out of which it arose in 3rd century CE Sasanian Mesopotamia.  From this research, they bring fresh angles and insights to the Jewish Synagogue at Dura-Europos in present-day Syria which is famous for its officially sanctioned set of murals which were added at the same time that Mani, the founder of Manichaeism,  independently instituted canonical art as a teaching tool for the benefit of his followers.

A Joint Talk Event: Talk one (30 minutes) followed by a 15 minute question period, Talk Two (30 minutes) followed by a 15 minute question period

Talk One:
Zsuzsanna Gulácsi
Teaching Religion with Images along the Iranian-Roman Frontier: The Murals of the Dura Synagogue and Mani’s Book of Pictures

Talk Two:
Jason BeDuhn
Iranian Visitors in the Dura Synagogue: The Significance of the Pahlavi Mural Inscriptions