Six of the Oldest Images of Christ and Eight of the Oldest Images of the Theotokos

March 14, 2015  (Source: http://www.churchpop.com)

NFTU: Of course, many refuse to believe the Holy Ghost was active in the tradition and in the iconographers of the Church to be able to depict Our Lord accurately. Nevertheless, it is still enriching to see some of the oldest images (produced by the Orthodox Church, of course!) of Our Lord and Our Lady.

In the image list of Our Lord they seem to omit the recent discovery of the Spanish image. Though, it is possible that, like the Ravenna image of “Christ the Conqueror” it is not in the same ‘class’ as these six. Though the “Good Shepherd” at least would warrant the inclusion of the Spanish discovery.

The amazing similarity, throughout all the centuries of the images of Our Lady with Our Lord are astounding.  Whether one sees the 5th century Italian “Protectress of the Roman People” icon in Rome or the Sinaite “Madonna and Child Enthroned Among the Angels and Saints”, we see the essential unity of the Orthodox Christian iconographic tradition across a wide area of geography.

Six of the Oldest Images of Christ

Eight of the Oldest Images of the Theotokos