This is Herod’s temple also known as the second temple because it replaced the first temple made Solomon. Herod had to get a thousand priests to work on the inside of the sanctuary because it was holy ground. The temple is made out of limestone and the setup is similar to Greek and Roman architecture in that it has a whole area that leads to the actual important part which in this case is the sanctuary. It is different from the previous styles in that it has walls instead of pillars making it look more like a castle. It is also different in that it doesn’t have any sculptures, plants, or paintings.

This is the menorah and the arc of the covenant from the 3rd century AD found in the underground catacombs underneath the city of Rome. The reason this was hidden underground was because Judaism in Rome was practiced in secret. In this painting we see two menorahs on either side the arc of the covenant. The ark of the covenant was a holy Jewish object which was believed to hold the law tablets, the circumcision knife, the shofar, etc.

This is the standing male figure from pit 2 is from Sanxingdui, China around 1200- 1050 BCE. The figure stands at about 8.5 feet high on a pedestal and was originally holding an elephant tusk. The statue wears three layers of robes, the outermost robe is decorated with shallow designs that have been interpreted as dragon motifs. The crown and the headdress bears a sun design. The dragon robe, sun crown, and pedestal suggests that the figure is royal. It can also be interpreted as a god, a priest king, or even a god king. The statue might have been offering the elephant tusk to the gods or carrying it as a symbol of authority. When the statue was first new it would look golden.

This is the fang ding from the tomb of lady Hao in 1200 BCE during the Shang Dynasty. This bronze vessel was connected with rituals and served as offering for food and wine. This was buried with its owner when she died. This is a square vessel with four legs and is one of the largest of its kind found in royal tombs. This was decorated with intricate images of animals such as birds, dragons, etc. There is a stylized face on each side and the legs, this face is a taotie mask which represents the Chinese god of greed and power. This was believed to have protected the owner from enemies and instill him with power and strength.

The house of Faun was found during the 2nd century BC in Pompeii, Italy. The style of the house matches the first Pompeian style known as the incrustation style. This style is characterized by colorful, patchwork walls of brightly painted Faux marble. The rectangles of painted marble were connected by stucco moldings that added a thee dimensional effect. It is known as one of the most luxurious houses in the Roman Republic named for the statue of the dancing faun. The house of faun contains multiple different artworks inside such as the Alexander mosaic, the Satyr and Nymph, the fish mosaic, etc.

The house of Vettii was created in the 1st century CE in Pompeii, Italy. This building represents the 4th style of Pompeian art known as the intricate style. This 4th style is a combination of the three Pompeian styles that came before it. This style uses the marble blocks along the base of the walls like in the first style, the naturalistic architectural scenes from the second style, and combine with the large flat planes of color and slender architectural detail from the third style. This fourth style also incorporates central panel pictures, although on a much larger scale than in the third style and a much wider range of themes. This style became popular in the mid first century CE and remained popular until the cities destruction in 79 CE.

These are the Longmen caves also known as the Dragon’s gate grottoes or the gate of the Yi river derived from its resemblance of the two hills that check the flow of the Yi river. It is considered one of the finest examples of Chinese Buddhist art, that is art marked by Buddhism. The original objective of Buddhist art was to express the pure ideal of enlightenment in an accessible and realistic manner which led to naturalistic and realistic artistic style. The Longmen caves consist of thousands of statues of Buddha and his companions in 1400 caves ranging from 1 inch to 57 feet in height.

This is the Horyuji Kondo, the oldest wooden structure today dating back to 607 BC in Japan. This area serves both seminary as well as monastery needs. This area is made up of two areas: the Sai-in in the west and the To-in in the east. The western part of the temple contains the Kondo and the temples five story pagoda. This type of style uses the architectural influences from the Eastern Han and the Northern Wei of China. The pagoda is 122 feet tall, at the base of this structure the enshrined bone fragment of which is thought to have belonged to the Buddha. The Yumedono also known as the hall of dreams was the Prince’s quiet place where he meditated.