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Episodes from the stories of Tobit, Esther, and Samson
11940601.0
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Title
Episodes from the stories of Tobit, Esther, and Samson
Contributor
Jane Vadnal (contributor)
University of Pittsburgh (depositor)
Contributor
Jane Vadnal
Identifier
FCSP22512000
Description
Tympanum; Gothic; North Porch, Right portal, Archivolts- Left SideThe second episodes in the Old Testament stories of Tobit and Tobias, Esther, and Samson that occupy the archivolts from this side of the tympanum.At lower left is the scene of Tobit burying a body (Tobit 1:20-2 and 2:1-9)Tobit (Tobias) was a pious Jew who was taken into captivity by the Assyrians. He was faithful the Jewish religion and performed many good works among his fellow captives. He buried the bodies of Jews and of people, who were slain, even thought the Assyrian king forbade this. The text (Tobit 2:15) explicitly compared his to Job, whose story is shown in the tympanum of this portal. Tobias stands at center, wrapping a shroud around a small body at left.At left above is a scene Tobit is blinded (Tobit 2:10-11)According to the text, one day, Tobit wearying from burying the dead, fell asleep by a wall. Hot bird dung fell out of a swallow’s nest and blinded him. This could be Tobit being blinded. It could also be Tobit praying (Tobit 3:1-6)Tobit sits and raises his face toward the sky. He sits under an architectural canopy supported by two columns.At center is Mordechai speaking to Haman. (Esther 3:8ff)The Book of Esther relates that the king's chief advisor Haman was offended because Mordicai, Esther’s uncle, refused to kneel before him. He plots to have Ahasuerus issue a decree to kill all the Jews in the empire because he knows that Mordechai is a Jew. At left, a man kneels before another man. Houvet suggests that this is Mordecai kneeling before Haman. At right, a bearded man holds a long scroll. Katzenellenbogen (p. 71) suggests this is Haman holding the edict to have the Jews killed.At right Samson kills a lion by tearing apart its jaws with his bare hands. Note Samson’s long hair. (Judges 14: 5-6) See Katzenellenbogen, pp. 68-74, whose study of medieval texts led him to conclude not only that these characters were prefigurations of Mary and Christ, but that their stories illustrated the afflictions and eventual triumph of the Church.; North Porch, Right Portal, Archivolts- Left side-
Type
still image
Genre
photographs
Subject
Cathédrale de Chartres--Pictorial works.
Church decoration and ornament--France--Chartres--Pictorial works.
Church architecture--France--Chartres--Pictorial works.
Christian art and symbolism--France--Chartres--Medieval, 500-1500--Pictorial works.
Geographic Subjects
France
Chartres
Collection
Chartres: Cathedral of Notre-Dame
Contributor
University of Pittsburgh
Rights Information
Copyright Not Evaluated. The copyright and related rights status of this Item has not been evaluated. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use.
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/
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