Women Accompanying Virgin Mary in Crucifixion Scenes: A Study in the New Testament Scenes

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Tourism Guidance Department Al Alson Higher institute

Abstract

Christ’s salvation was represented in Crucifixion scenes; though salvation is the core of the Christian dogma, it was rarely represented. The main incident was mentioned in the New Testament in the four gospels with almost the same narration. The Christ is nailed to the cross surrounded by Virgin Mary and a few women accompanying her Mathew 27:55-56, Mark 15:40, Luke 23:49, John 19:25. Earlier researches had studied the crucifixion as a rare scene, but this paper will focus on the female figures who accompanied the virgin during this event and their artistic depictions on icons[1] from the 8th to the 14th centuries.



[1]Icons play an important role in the celebrations during festival days and pilgrimages; like the feasts of the Holy Cross, Palm Sunday, Easter, Ascension, and Pentecost; on Good Friday the priest envelops the icon of the Crucifixion in a white veil of linen and places it on the altar (Gawdat, 2009).
 
 

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