Paul in the Synagogue at Thessalonica

Gustave Doré · 1866 (designs for La Sainte Bible, Tours); this printing 1873–1874
National Library of Poland, Warsaw

Jonnard signed this wide plate at the lower right. Doré used the long format to make the room itself the subject: a synagogue hall that seems to go on and on.

Paul stands at the left, so tall that the top of the sheet cuts off his raised hand. Facing him, rows of men in pale robes and head cloths sit along the benches, row behind row, fading into the distance. Closed books lie on the floor at the lower left, and light falls on the empty floor between Paul and his hearers.

From the text

“they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue” (Acts 17:1)

“on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures” (Acts 17:2)

“Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas” (Acts 17:4)

The artist’s own

A vast hall with endless rows of listeners, all of them men — the text also names “quite a few leading women” (Acts 17:4)

Bound books lying on the floor, where the synagogue would have used scrolls

Details

Paul

He stands tall, one hand on his chest, the other raised out of the picture.

Row after row

Men in pale robes sit along the benches, fading into the distance.

Books on the floor

Closed books and a rod lie at the foot of the bench.

A listener

A curly-haired man sits on the step and turns toward Paul.

Gustave Doré, French, 1832–1883. National Library of Poland (Biblioteka Narodowa), Warsaw — «Pismo Święte Starego i Nowego Testamentu», vol. 2, Warsaw: M. Glücksberg, 1874 (acc. 75.267 A) · Wood engraving after Gustave Doré’s design · National Library of Poland (Polona): the record of the volume gives the licence «Domena Publiczna» (Public Domain), «copyrightProtected»: false; the scan was uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by the library itself («Polona Upload», GLAM-Wiki partnership: “This file was uploaded to Wikimedia Commons as part of a GLAM-Wiki partnership between the National Library of Poland and Wikimedia Polska”), linking its Polona record.

The verses

Acts 17:1–4When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he declared. Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few leading women.