ina ", ▁whom ▁were ▁also ▁listed ▁as ▁the ▁art is ans ▁of ▁the ▁nearby ▁Beth ▁She an ▁syn agog ue . ▁The ▁ins cri ptions ▁are ▁fl ank ed ▁on ▁either ▁side ▁by ▁a ▁l ion ▁and ▁a ▁buff alo , ▁who ▁serve ▁as ▁the ▁syn agog ue ' s ▁symbol ic ▁guard ians . ▁ ▁N ave ▁m osa ics ▁ ▁Northern ▁panel — Binding ▁of ▁Isaac ▁ ▁The ▁northern ▁panel ▁dep ict s ▁the ▁" Binding ▁of ▁Isaac " ▁( Gen esis ▁ 2 2 : ▁ 1 – 1 8 ). ▁To ▁the ▁right , ▁Abraham ▁is ▁dep icted ▁d ang ling ▁Isaac ▁over ▁the ▁fier y ▁alt ar ▁as ▁he ▁ra ises ▁his ▁hand ▁to ▁perform ▁the ▁sacrifice . ▁In ▁the ▁center , ▁God , ▁symbol ized ▁by ▁the ▁small ▁fire - ▁enc irc led ▁hand ▁appearing ▁in ▁the ▁upper ▁center , ▁instruct s ▁Abraham ▁to ▁sacrifice ▁a ▁nearby ▁ram ▁instead ▁of ▁Isaac . ▁The ▁hand ▁of ▁God ▁is ▁apt ly ▁l abeled ▁with ▁" al ▁t ish lah " ▁or ▁" do ▁not ▁raise ", ▁taken ▁from ▁God ' s ▁command ▁to ▁the ▁ang el ▁that ▁Abraham ▁not ▁" raise ▁his ▁hand ▁against ▁the ▁boy ▁[ Is a ac ]" ▁( Gen esis ▁ 2 2 : 1 2 ). ▁In ▁the ▁lower ▁center ▁of ▁the ▁composition , ▁immediately ▁below ▁the ▁hand ▁of ▁God , ▁the ▁ram ▁that ▁served ▁as ▁Isaac ' s ▁substitute ▁is ▁position ed ▁standing ▁side ways , ▁tra pped ▁in ▁the ▁nearby ▁th icket