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The Ophidian Iconography Quest (Mundus Vetus & Mundus Novus, 2004 - present) |
| ● COMPENDIUM'S DATABASE ● |
| ◀ Figure 075 of 090 | VATICAN: LOCATIONS | SET 001 | SET 002 | SET 003 | SET 004 | Figure 077 of 090 ▶ |
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| Figure EUR-vat-076. Alexei Alexeev and sarcophagus with the image of the coiling cynocephalic (dog-headed) and ichthyocaude (fish-tailed) aquatic composite monster ketos, just before swallowing and during disgorging Jonah, thrown from the boat to the sea, the subject referred to in the Bible (Old Testament), NRSV as follows: ◆ "But the Lord provided a large fish [דָּ֣ג, dag = "fish" in Hebrew; κητος, ketos = "sea-monster" in Greek] to swallow up Jonah [יוֹנִים, Yonah = "Dove" in Hebrew]; and Jonah was in the belly of the fish [דָּ֣ג, dag; κητος, ketos] three days and three nights. ⟨...⟩ Then the Lord spoke to the fish [דָּ֣ג, dag; κητος, ketos], and it spewed Jonah out upon the dry land." (Jonah 1: 17; 2: 10) and in the Bible (New Testament), NRSV as follows: ✠ "Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him [Jesus Christ], “Teacher, we wish to see a sign [σημεῖον, semeion = "sign" in Greek] from you.” But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster [κητος, ketos], so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth. The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here!" (Matthew 12: 38-41) and ✠ "When the crowds were increasing, he [Jesus Christ] began to say, “This generation is an evil generation; it asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For just as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be to this generation. The queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is here! The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here!" (Luke 11: 29-32). According to the rabbinic tradition (Midrash), while Jonah was inside the fish, it told him that its life was nearly over because soon the Leviathan would eat them both. Jonah promised the fish that he would save them. Following Jonah's directions, the fish swam up alongside the Leviathan and Jonah threatened to leash the Leviathan by its tongue and let the other fish eat it. The Leviathan heard Jonah's threats, saw that he was circumcized, and realized that he was protected by the Lord, so it fled in terror, leaving Jonah and the fish alive. To reward him for this service the fish showed Jonah all the wondrous things in the ocean, such as the path of the Israelites across the Red Sea or the pillars upon which the earth rests. (Zohar; Pirke De-Rabbi Eliezer; Genesis Rabbah; exact quotes and source references needed); Noah in the Ark welcoming the dove with the olive branch in its beak, the subject referred to in the Bible (Old Testament), NRSV as follows: ◆ "At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. Then he sent out the dove [יוֹנִים, yonah = "dove"] from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; but the dove found no place to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took it and brought it into the ark with him. He waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark; and the dove came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. Then he waited another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it did not return to him any more." (Genesis 8: 6-12). |
| Medium: | Category (Object): |
Artist/Workshop: | Historical/Art Period, Date: |
Provenience: | Collection: |
| White marble | High relief (Sarcophagus with Biblical scenes, chest, front panel, carved decoration, detail) |
Unknown; consi-derably restored by Bartolomeo Cavaceppi (1716- 1799 AD) |
Roman Imperial/ Early Christian, 280-300 AD |
Vatican Necropolis, under the floor (?) of Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano, Vatican |
Musei Vaticani (Mu-seo Pio Cristiano), Vatican, Inventory № 31448 |
| Source-Image(s): The image(s) is/are from Alexei Alexeev's personal photo archive (The First Vatican Expedition, 29 March - 25 April 2015). All artefacts will be available for viewing in the Compendium's respective volumes after the completion of the fully integrated iconographic database. Some of the artefacts will be represented by several figures (offering a general view and details). |
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