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HOLY FACE, HOLY SCRIPT, HOLY GATE Revealing the Edessa Paradigm in Christian Imagery

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HOLY FACE, HOLY SCRIPT, HOLY GATE Revealing the Edessa Paradigm in Christian Imagery HOLY FACE, HOLY SCRIPT, HOLY GATE Revealing the Edessa paradigm in Christian imagery Alexei Lidov According to a tradition, which was established by the very significant feature which, to the best of my knowl- seventh century, the Holy Mandylion was the only image edge, has been never discussed in the scholarly litera- miraculously created by Christ himself, as a kind of self- ture. It concerns the peculiar iconography of the portrait “not made by human hands”1. The Letter to Mandylion image. Beside the Holy Face there are seven Abgar of Edessa was the only text written by Christ him- roundels painted with a reddish pigment that contrasts self as a kind of a divine autograph2. This unique status with the white background. Combinations of three and determined the outstanding role played by the Holy four roundels separated by vertical strips from Christ’s Face and the Holy Script in the Christian culture. The face are shaped as tablets. The articulation of the sub- stories of these two major relics were closely interwov- ject suggests that it is not just an ornamental motif but en. Both have appeared in the same circumstances and a quite special concept with a particular meaning. The were venerated for centuries in the city of Edessa. Both form of roundels provides an answer. Most probably, were transferred from Edessa to Constantinople and they represented seven seals. Yet why do the seals ap- situated in the Pharos chapel – the imperial church-reli- pear on the Mandylion cloth? The origin of the motif quary of the Great Palace in Constantinople. Both were can be explained by the literary tradition according to perceived as apotropeia and magic objects, which some- which Christ’s Letter to Abgar was imprinted by seven times were fused in a single whole. This specific phe- seals, which belonged to Christ himself, and these seals nomenon of a magic fusion of relics will be discussed in embodied through the sacred signs His mystical char- the present paper. I will argue that it influenced con- acteristics. Thus, the creator of iconographic device in siderably Byzantine church iconography as well as the Sakli kilise intended to present not merely the Holy Face practice of icon-worship. Furthermore, the combina- but also the Holy Letter. If my interpretation is correct, tion of two relics, revealing a topos of the Edessa niche, the images of Christ and his Script were fused in the emphasized the spatial aspects of the Christian imagery single whole – the single icon representing two great and created for centuries an established paradigm. relics at once. Allow me to begin with one significant example, which It is important to understand the relationship of the will be a protagonist of our discussion. An impressive Mandylion with the Letter to Abgar. Certainly, the pre- representation of the Mandylion in the eleventh-century sence of the Letter stressed the apotropaic function of wall-paintings of the cave church Sakli kilise in Cap- the Mandylion image. Since Early Byzantine period the padocia (Göreme) has already drawn attention of schol- Letter was one of the most powerful protective relics of ars as one of the earliest and most characteristic the entire Christian world. Mandylion images in Eastern Christian iconographic The story of the exchange of letters between Christ and programs3. The image is situated above the arched pas- Abgar, the toparch of Edessa, came down to us in the sageway in the sanctuary barrier. To the left is depicted early and developed version of the Ecclesiastic History the Virgin enthroned from the Annunciation scene. To of Eusebius (ca. 260-ca. 340) who claimed to use au- the right, appears the representation of the prophet Isa- thentic documents in the archives of Edessa5. The text iah, pointing to the Mandylion by a gesture of blessing of Christ’s letter according to Eusebius ends by the and holding an open scroll originally inscribed with his promise to «send one of my disciples to heal your suf- famous prophesy (Is. 6:14) that Immanuel would be fering and give life to you and those with you»6. The let- born of a virgin (fig. 1). That inscription gave a clue for ter appears as a substitute of Jesus who could not come the interpretation of the message: the Mandylion be- himself to heal Abgar in Edessa. However, in this old- tween the Virgin and Isaiah is depicted as a sign of the est version the healing power belonged not to the ob- Incarnation, and a visual confirmation of God’s pres- ject-relic but to the disciple producing miracles on be- ence on earth. Another aspect of the concept, recently half of Christ. revealed by Herbert Kessler, was connected with the A significant alteration was made in the Letter to Abgar theory of icon veneration. In a statement of the Second during the fourth century. A new sentence had been at- Council of Nicaea, the icon is «the fulfillment of the tached at the end of the text: «Your city shall be blessed prophetic reflection», an embodiment of Isaiah’s and no enemy shall ever be master of it»7. Edessa be- prophesy that «a virgin shall conceive in the womb, and came the only city in the world blessed by Christ him- shall bring forth a son»4. self, under the formal divine protection guaranteed by A powerful Mandylion program of Sakli kilise, repre- God’s promise. senting some important Middle Byzantine models has By the end of the fourth century the protective power been correctly perceived in general. However, there is a of the Letter was a well established tradition in Edessa alexei lidov as we learn from the famous Latin pilgrim Egeria8. She laration, structuring the entire sacred space of great sig- retells us the legend recorded by the bishop of Edessa nificance. In the fifth-sixth centuries protective inscrip- that at the moment of a Persian siege Abgar took the tions with Christ’s Letter to Abgar became wide-spread Letter, and in the Christian world12. The most impressive epi- graphic evidence of the fifth century survived in Philip- with all his army prayed in public. Than he said, Lord pi, Macedonia, where the Letter was engraved on the Jesus, you promised us no enemy will enter yonder city; city gate, at the same place that it was in Edessa13 (fig. but behold the Persians are attacking us. When he said 2). The inscription included both letters, which were this, holding that letter in his raised hand, suddenly such found in several fragments, now preserved in the local thick darkness appeared outside the city archeological museum of Philippi14. At the first glance the appearance of this inscription so that the Persians could not approach the walls9. looks strange since Christ’s Letter with the protective Since that time whenever the Persians appeared before blessing was originally addressed not to Philippi or any Edessa the Letter was produced and read at the gate, other city, but specifically to Edessa. The paradox can and the enemy was repelled. be explained in terms of iconic vision. By replicating of Egeria provides extremely interesting information the holy inscription in a Macedonian town, the authors about the veneration of the gate through which the Let- of the concept pointed to the iconic character of that ter was brought to Edessa. The bishop of Edessa took place in relation to Edessa as a holy city. The special sa- Egeria to that gate where he prayed and recited Christ’s cred space of the Edessa gate could be copied and Letter. He informed her that since the Letter was translated elsewhere. The logic is the same as in the brought into the city «until the present day no unclean cases of the Holy Sepulchre and other sites of and no one in sadness passes through that gate, and no Jerusalem, which were often reproduced in geographi- dead body is taken out through that gate»10. It is note- cally distant areas. worthy that by late fourth century the Letter itself was No less important was an apotropaic meaning of the considered as a protective relic connected with a spe- Letter encouraging the private usage of the sacred cial sacred space of the gate. Edessans created a most script. In the fifth century the holy inscription occurred holy place of the special veneration, and of the reciting above the door of a private house in Ephesus15. In the of Christ’s protective blessing. As a kind of eulogia (me- same period magic amulets with the complete text, or morial blessing) of Edessa Egeria received a copy of citations, of Christ’s Letter to Abgar, inscribed on dif- Christ’s Letter to Abgar, which she found more com- ferent materials, spread all over the Christian world16. It plete than that she read before (most probably, at that deals with an extremely popular tradition, which sur- moment the new last sentence of the Letter was un- vived until the present time in some regions of the East- known in the West). ern Christendom (for instance, in contemporary Geor- One may notice the existence of a sacred complex. gia17). An early example is provided by a Coptic pa- Christ’s Letter was viewed in three different ways: the pyrus from the British Museum (Oriental 4919/2), holy text itself was venerated and a special emphasize which contains a copy of the Abgar’s letter and the first was placed on the final blessing; the Letter was revered words of each of the Four Gospels. Another papyrus in as a special relic-object; and finally, the sacred space of Greek was found in the village of Nessana to the south the gate was consecrated by the Letter passing through of Jerusalem – one of the first amulets mentioning the it.
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