Topic: 1. Sacrifice and Bible (16th-18th Century)
The Bible, with its plethora of examples of sacrifice and self-sacrifice, plays a pivotal role in shaping the discourse on sacrifice in the early modern world.
This section includes:
- Sources: A broad selection of early modern writings, encompassing biblical exegesis, theological and philosophical interpretations, various translations, prayer books, and hymns.
- Iconographic Representations: This visual collection showcases early modern depictions of biblical sacrifices, including key scenes like the Sacrifice of Isaac as interpreted in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions.
- Related Bibliography: Complemented by a comprehensive bibliography of scholarly works from the 19th to 21st centuries, offering modern perspectives and analyses of these historical interpretations.
Dagger. The grip depicts the Sacrifice of Isaac. (c. 1600)
from: Italy
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Dieu ordonnant à Satan d'éprouver Job - Job sacrifiant (1470-1480)
from: Jean Mansel (1400?-1473?) : La fleur des hystoires
Paris, Bibliothèque Mazarine, Ms 1562, fol. 118
Elijah confounds the prophets of Baal by putting their God to a challenge. Only Elijah's sacrifice to God is consumed by fire (III Kings 18: 25-40) (1539)
from: Britain
Boston, The Harvard Art Museums
Ibrâhîm [Abraham] holding a knife is about to sacrifice his son Ismâ'îl (Ishmael) who kneels before him (1580)
from: Qisas al-Anbiyâ [Qazvin?]
The New York Public Library, Spencer Coll. Persian MS. 46
Jewish sacrificing children to demons (IXth Century)
from: Psalterium, Constantinople / Istanbul
Paris, BnF, Grec. 20, fol. 18
Job offering sacrifice (for Job 1: 5)
from: Olympiodorus, Diaconus
Oxford, Bodleian Library MS. Laud Gr. 86 (Ms from Venice)
Manoah and his wife sacrificing [1430]
from: Psalterium romanum [Mantova]
Paris, BnF, Ms Latin 772, fol. 8
Martyrdom of Zakariya (XVI)
from: ishâq nishâbûrî, qisas-i qur'ân. [Qazvin, Iran]
Paris, BnF, Persan 54, fol. 144v
Pesah dorot (from the Birds’ Head Haggadah) (1300)
from: Birds’ Head Haggadah (Germany)
Israel Museum in Jerusalem
Sacrifice of a Lamb (14th)
from: Saint Augustin, La Cité de Dieu, traduite en français par Raoul de Presles, livres I-X
Paris, BnF, Français 20, fol. 253
Sacrifice of Jephthah (1461)
from: Speculum humanae salvationis (Belgium)
Lyon. Bibliothèque municipale, Ms 245, fol. 125
Scenes of sacrifice (1685)
from: Title page of Herman Witsius, De oeconomia foderum Dei cum hominibus, Leeuwarden, 1685
The Binding of Isaac (245)
from: Fresco in a mid-third Century Dura Europos Synagogue
Damascus National Museum
The god Moloch with an infant in his arms as a sacrifice, (1738)
from: ohann Lund:
University of Heidelberg
The preparation for the Passover festival: heep are slaughtered for Passover and a man purifies utensils in a cauldron over a fire (c. 1320)
from: Golden Haggadah (northern Spain)
London, British Library, Add 27210, fol. 15r
The Sacrifice of Isaac (sec. XIII-XIV)
Torri in Sabina, S. Maria in Vescovio
The Sacrifice of Isaac (1700-1750)
from: Bulgaria
Bruxelles, Musées royaux d'art et d'histoire / Koninklijke Musea voor Kunst en Geschiedenis
The Sacrifice of Isaac (1320)
from: Golden Haggadah (northern Spain)
London, British Library, Add 27210, fol. 4v
The Sacrifice of Isaac
from: Ancient mosaic pavement from the 6th century, Beit Alfa Synagogue
Beit Alfa Synagogue, Beit She'an (near to), Israel