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SOPHRONIUS OF JERUSALEM (ca. 600 A.D.)
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The Birth of Jesus is depicted on the painted cover of the Lateran Reliquarium in full accordance with Byzantine iconographic tradition. In this representation a good deal of biblical passages are implicitly referred to by the artist. The Virgin Mary has just delivered her Child (Luke 2:7) and now rests on a large mattress. The babe, laying in the manger is wrapped in swaddling cloths (Luke 2:7). An ox and an ass are shown here behind the Infant (Is 1:3) while the messianic star shines at the top of the grotto (Num 24:17; Matt 2:9). St. Joseph is sitting nearby in a vigilant sleep, probably having the second of his two famous dreams (Matt. 1:24; Matt. 2:13).
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 Please fill in our Guest book form - Thank you for supporting us! Project, design, research and realization carried out by Eugenio Alliata ofm, assistant professor of Christian Archaeology at SBF-Jerusalem. Updated Thu, Dec 9, 1999 at 04:59 by John Abela ofm - Space by courtesy of Christus Rex |
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