Brad Erickson, a doctoral student in Ancient Mediterranean Religions and a scholar of ancient Judaism, has incorporated 3-D virtual modeling in his archaeological research to aid in the visualization of ancient synagogues. On Thursday, April 6, Brad participated in the UNC Research Hub Showcase, an event in which scholars from across the university had the opportunity to demonstrate how the resources of the Research Hub have advanced their work. Brad’s station at the event allowed participants to walk through virtual models he created of the ancient synagogues at Sepphoris and Beit Alpha using a virtual reality headset.

To view some of Brad’s 3-D models for yourself, click here (synagogue models) and here (synagogue mosaics).

Brad Erickson explaining the intricacies of 3-D modeling

Prof. Joseph Lam gazing up at the ceiling of the synagogue

Getting accustomed to the VR headset

A rendering from inside the virtual reality model: the interior of the Sepphoris synagogue

Posted in Graduate Student News on April 13, 2017. Bookmark the permalink.