The Greek Church that May Hold the Oldest Crucifixion Icon

The Greek Orthodox Holy Monastery of St. Catherine on Mount Sinai is believed to house the oldest icon depicting the crucifixion of Christ.

St. Catherine’s Icon of the Crucifixion of Christ

The icon in question, a panel painting, features the crucified Messiah, with arms stretched over the wooden beams of the cross, surrounded by several figures from the crucifixion narrative. In the image, Christ is wearing the crown of thorns and the names of the two robbers crucified with him, Gestas and Dimas, are also visible.

The relic is thought to be one of the few early Christian icons that has survived the era of the Byzantine Dark Ages.

The oldest icon of the Crucifixion of Christ. 8th Century.
The icon is 46.4 × 25.5 cm in size and is located in the Holy Monastery of Saint Catherine, Mount Sinai.@Adele47018578#painting#Photography
Panon Cotos pic.twitter.com/WHyfXRw5Mb

— Miguel Calabria (@MiguelCalabria3) October 31, 2018

Greco-Roman Art Traditions

The icon exhibits several stylistic traits characteristic of the Greco-Roman art tradition. These features include a naturalistic rendering of the human body, a focus on the subject’s emotional state, and the portrayal of depth through the use of shading and perspective.

Importance of St. Catherine’s Icon

The early Byzantine and post-Byzantine paintings continue the Hellenistic and Roman tradition and style of mural painting, and the oldest preserved icons of St. Catherine’s are believed to date back to the sixth century.

In addition to bearing a strong resemblance to Greco-Roman art, the St. Catherine’s painting is a typical example of early Christian iconography. Not only does it showcase the crucifixion, but it also includes elements of the passion narrative, such as the presence of the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist.

According to the University of Chicago, one of the earliest depictions of a crucified Christ is carved on an amulet from the eastern Mediterranean, which may date back as far as the fifth century AD. It is argued there is one other fifth-century representation of the crucifixion, which is carved on a wooden panel on the door of the church of Santa Sabina in Rome.

It is claimed the amulet is one of four carved ivory reliefs, collectively known as the Maskell Passion Ivories, which once stood as sides of a casket or reliquary.

Part of the collection of William Maskell, a medievalist and ecclesiastical antiquary, who authored Ivories: Ancient and Medieval (1876), they were acquired by the British Museum in 1856 with a grant from the treasury.

Now, only the four side panels of the box survive, and even the one depicting the crucifixion of Christ is damaged. The trunk of the tree has been repaired and the soldier’s spear is missing.

Earlier this year, monks at St. Catherine’s also discovered the oldest-to-date medical recipes from Hippocrates.