- anti qu ity . ▁Some ▁interpret ▁the ▁popular ity ▁that ▁the ▁z od iac ▁maintain s ▁within ▁syn agog ue ▁flo ors ▁as ▁evidence ▁for ▁its ▁J uda ization ▁and ▁adaptation ▁into ▁the ▁Jewish ▁calendar ▁and ▁lit ur gy . ▁O thers ▁see ▁it ▁as ▁representing ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁a ▁" non - R ab bin ic " ▁or ▁a ▁myst ical ▁and ▁H ellen ized ▁form ▁of ▁J uda ism ▁that ▁emb rac ed ▁the ▁astr al ▁religion ▁of ▁Gre co - R oman ▁culture . ▁ ▁Southern ▁panel — syn agog ue ▁scene ▁The ▁southern ▁panel , ▁which ▁was ▁laid ▁before ▁the ▁syn agog ue ' s ▁Tor ah ▁S hr ine , ▁is ▁a ▁lit urg ically ▁orient ed ▁scene ▁that ▁emphas izes ▁the ▁central ity ▁of ▁the ▁Tor ah ▁S hr ine . ▁The ▁Tor ah ▁S hr ine ▁stands ▁at ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁composition ▁and ▁is ▁dep icted ▁with ▁a ▁g abled ▁roof . ▁The ▁Tor ah ▁S hr ine ▁is ▁decor ated ▁with ▁orn ament ed ▁pan els ▁featuring ▁diam onds ▁and ▁squares . ▁The ▁floating ▁con ch ▁shell ▁seen ▁in ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁roof , ▁is ▁a ▁st yl ized ▁representation ▁of ▁the ▁Tor ah ▁S hr ine ' s ▁in set ▁arch . ▁A ▁h anging ▁lamp ▁is ▁susp ended ▁from ▁the ▁g able ▁of ▁the ▁roof . ▁As ▁a ▁symbol ic ▁marker ▁of ▁its ▁importance , ▁the ▁lower ▁register ▁of ▁the ▁Tor ah ▁S hr ine ▁is ▁fl ank ed ▁by