Απεικονίσεις του Παναγίου Τάφου και οι συμβολικές προεκτάσεις τους κατά την ύστερη βυζαντινή περίοδο
Part of : Δελτίον της Χριστιανικής Αρχαιολογικής Εταιρείας ; Vol.43, 2004, pages 225-236
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Pages:
225-236
Parallel Title:
Representations of the Holy Sepulchre and their Symbolism in the Late Byzantine Era
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Articles
Abstract:
This study originated from an observation that during the Late Byzantine period representations of Christ's Burial and Resurrection in works from the Eastern Mediterranean often include, instead of the "sepulchre hewn in stone" of the Gospels, a structure with a ciborium from which two or more lamps hang suspended. This suggested that the architectural feature might be a pictorial reference to the contemporary appearance of Christ's tomb, the Holy Sepulchre. In order to corroborate this theory, a search was made for earlier, contemporary and later representations of the tomb and for descriptions in the writings of pilgrims to the Holy Land, from which it became clear that when depicting the Sepulchre painters reproduced certain architectural details, as the sources confirm. What is of particular interest is that one of the features chosen to suggest the tomb - the lamps - can be shown to reflect theological symbolism, religious practice and contemporary historical events. These lamps contain a clear reference to the miracle of the Holy Fire, which occurred during the Resurrection service from the late eighth century onwards. The miraculous lighting of the lamps on the tomb on the night of Easter Saturday was primarily a symbol of the message of salvation which Christ's tomb brought to the faithful. But at the same time, like every manifestation of the divine, it became an emblem of ecclesiastical authority and a source of political and economic power. It is therefore no coincidence that it was often to be found at the centre of disputes, the most significant of which occurred after the capture of Jerusalem by the Crusaders. The protagonists were the Greek Orthodox clergy, who were responsible for the miraculous ritual, and the new Latin ecclesiastical hierarchy, whose aim was absolute control over the great Christian shrine. The outcome was the Papal Bull of 1238, which denounced the miracle as a shameful fraud, thereby demonstrating both the intensity of the dispute and also the link between the great interest in the Holy Sepulchre, which is attested by its frequent representation in the art of the period, and the complex political, social and cultural conditions which developed in the Eastern Mediterranean after the Crusades.
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