why does pagan symbole of Helios appear in ancient synagoge in Israel? Like in Beith Alfa and Zipori?

Question

http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%92%D7%9C%D7%92%D7%9C_%D7%94%D7%9E%D7%96%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%AA_%D7%91%D7%91%D7%AA%D7%99_%D7%9B%D7%A0%D7%A1%D7%AA_%D7%A2%D7%AA%D7%99%D7%A7%D7%99%D7%9D

Answer 1

Scholars give a few reasons. Some scholars say these images were actually sort of believed in by the less religious aristocrats who built the synagogues. But most scholars believe that these images were just popular images at the time and by the 5th century they lost much of their idolatrous meanings. Many Rabbis at the time at a hard time with these images but there was no outright ban on them by the Talmudic Rabbis, so therefore in my opinion, since there was no outright ban on them, they couldn't have been used for idolatrous purposes. So it most likely was just popular art at the time.

Answer 2

My guess is because those communities were heavily influenced by Greco-Roman architecture and artwork. Even though they didn't neccessarily believe in any of it, it was still the modern thing to do. Either that, or certain communities just weren't all that strongly religious.

Answer 3

Those are zodiacs andJewish people some what belive in them.