“The cycle of the rise and fall of man continues.”
The Morgan Bible is unique in a number of ways not the least of which is the accompanying text that surrounds the images. Within about 100 years of its creation, Latin captions were added to the margins explaining the images. In 1608 Persian inscriptions were added. In the 18th century, Judeo-Persian translations were added. Along the way it also acquired Arabic and Hebrew inscriptions. All of which brings up an important point to the sacred artist.
The purpose of sacred art is to lift our hearts and minds to God. In that sense it is a sacramental that prepares us to receive the grace of the sacraments. Sacred art serves as a focus for our contemplation of Salvation History. When they are done well, images can lead us beyond the painted page to contemplate the eternal truth behind the image. It is thus vitally important that the viewer is able to discern exactly what is depicted in the image.
Simply illustrating a scene may be confusing to the viewer as they try to decide what is being depicted and where their meditation should lead them. Imagine you are lost in the desert. You have no idea where you are. You find a map but there are no markers or landscape features that inform you where to start. You cannot determine your way out of the desert if you do not know where you are starting from.
In sacred art, it is not the image of the saint that connects us to them, it is the inscription of their name. Modern sacred artists should not shy away from explicitly referencing the subject of the work in order to aid the faithful and avoid confusion. The early Gothic artists more or less carried over this tradition from the Iconographic, but the practice seemed to die off over the years. Likewise the use of banners or ribbons inscribed with scripture passages are another way to draw the viewer into a deeper meditation of the work.
The Nakedness of Noah
The upper left quadrant of MS M.638, fol. 3R we see Noah planting his vineyard. We are told he was a “tiller of the soil.” In the same panel Noah has become drunk and lay uncovered in his tent. But Noah’s son, Shem (Name) averts his eyes while he covers his father’s nakedness. But Shem’s brother, Ham, mocks his father’s condition.
In Leviticus, to “uncover nakedness” is a euphemism. Some scholars have interpreted Ham’s actions as having sexual relations with his mother, Noah’s wife. This would explain “When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan; a slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers.” (Genesis 9:24-25) Ham was the father of Canaan. Shem on the other hand was blessed by his father.
The Tower of Babel
The line of Shem continued to walk in the way of the Lord while the line of Ham went their own way. In the land of Shinar they began to construct a great city with a tower reaching to Heaven. They did this to make a name (Shem) for themselves. As they build the tower, shown with a remarkable level of detail od medieval building techniques, God and His angels look down from Heaven.
Although the destruction of the tower and the scattering of the people is not shown, the story was well known. It is a repetition of the creation story. Noah and his family begin in a garden eating the fruit from the trees and vines. Nakedness and sin enter in, followed by a curse. There is a rivalry between brothers, sin multiplies, until finally man falls as a result of his own pride. The cycle of the rise and fall of man continues.
Abraham and Isaac
Much of the story of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac is played out in this single panel. Abraham and Isaac climb Mount Moriah, leaving Abraham’s young men to tend the ass. Isaac carries the wood for the sacrifice. Isaac is shown a second time on the altar about to be sacrificed when an angel of the Lord stops Abraham and directs him to the ram caught nearby in a thicket.
In Jewish tradition, Moriah is the foundation stone upon which the world was built. It is the capstone to Hades and the location of the first parting of the waters in the account of creation. It is also the place where God established Eden, Abel offered his sacrifice, Melchizidek offered his, and Solomon built his temple. It is the spiritual connection between Heaven and Earth.
Many fathers of the Church saw in the story of Abraham and Isaac a foreshadowing of the New Testament. The terms used in the account, “only son,” “saddled ass,” “third day,” “wood on his shoulder,” “bound,” and “lamb,” all prefigure the passion of Jesus.
The Capture of Lot
Lot and Abraham (Abram) had journeyed together and each had grown very wealthy. The land could not support the combined flocks of both. The two parted peaceably, Lot settled north along the Jordon in the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah, while Abraham went to the south near the “terebinths of Mamre.”
In the war of four kings against five, Lot the nephew of Abraham is taken captive along with his family. The Latin inscription reads: “How the army of the King of the Elamites and one of the three other kings, having defeated the king of Gomorrah and four other kings, leads captives and among others Lot, Abraham’s nephew.” (Genesis 14: 1–12)
For more information on the Maciejowski Bible visit the Morgan Museum website at https://www.themorgan.org/collection/Crusader-Bible