SYMBOLISM OF EARLY CHRISTIAN PRAYERS  IN ROMAN, GREEK AND EGYPTIAN FUNERARY ART

The question of semantic connections between Early Christian funerary art and texts of Early Christian prayer for the dead – Ordo commendationis animae – remains controversial. Some scholars endorse the idea that iconographic programs of Roman catacombs and Early Christian sarcophagy can be traced back to the prayer. Others highlight the distinctions between them, emphasizing, that the oldest text of the Ordo commendationis animae cannot be dated earlier than the 4^th century. Both the prayer and the funerary art embody the same themes of salvation and resurrection, often depicted through shared biblical heroes and narratives. Although there are inconsistencies between the biblical heroes mentioned in the prayer and the most popular characters and narratives in Early Christian art, the semantic parallels cannot be simply dismissed. This research seeks to uncover the origins of the prayer itself and propose liturgical sources that could have influenced regional traditions of Early Christian funerary iconography. Additionally, it hypothesizes explanations for the iconographic principles of several renowned Early Christian monuments.

Keywords

Early Christian funerary art, Early Christian Iconography, Ordo commendationis animae, Dura Europos, Roman catacombs, Early Christian tombs of Thessaloniki, Coptic painting, Coptic art, Early Christian prayers

Received

02.02.2024

Publication date

02.03.2024

Number of characters

28216

Cite

GOST	Kuvatova V. SYMBOLISM OF EARLY CHRISTIAN PRAYERS IN ROMAN, GREEK AND EGYPTIAN FUNERARY ART // Vostok. Afro-Aziatskie obshchestva: istoriia i sovremennost – 2024. – Issue 1 C. 177-185 [Electronic resource]. URL: https://vostokoriens.jes.su/S086919080029093-9-1 (circulation date: 09.09.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S086919080029093-9
MLA	Kuvatova, Valeria "SYMBOLISM OF EARLY CHRISTIAN PRAYERS IN ROMAN, GREEK AND EGYPTIAN FUNERARY ART." Vostok. Afro-Aziatskie obshchestva: istoriia i sovremennost 1 (2024):177-185. DOI: 10.31857/S086919080029093-9
APA	Kuvatova V. (2024). SYMBOLISM OF EARLY CHRISTIAN PRAYERS IN ROMAN, GREEK AND EGYPTIAN FUNERARY ART. Vostok. Afro-Aziatskie obshchestva: istoriia i sovremennost (1), pp.177-185 DOI: 10.31857/S086919080029093-9

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1	The semantic association between the imagery of Early Christian funerary art and the texts of Early Christian prayer for the dead – Ordo commendationis animae – has a rich history of research. E. le Blant, followed by H. Leclercq and other scholars, argued that the parallels between the characters and episodes depicted in the art and those reference in the prayer could not be merely coincidental [Blant 1878; Carbol, Leclercq, 1907, p. 435]. However, the debate over a direct link between the prayer and funerary pictorial programs continues. The earliest known text of the Ordo commendationis animae cannot be dated before the 4th century [Jensen, 2000, p. 71; Martimort, 1949, p. 105]. Furthermore, the overlap between the two is far from perfect. R. M. Jensen argues that certain figures from the prayer, such as Enoch, Elijah, Lot and Thecla, do not appear in catacomb painting, while the most commonly depicted narratives and characters in Roman funerary art are absent from the prayer [Jensen, 2000, p. 71]. The text of the prayer itself is a topic of debate. It remains unclear if Jonah, a prominent Old Testament figure in Early Christian art, was mentioned in the 4th century version. The text published by H. Leclercq in his dictionary omits the rebellious prophet, leading many scholars to conclude that the story of Jonah was a later addition to the prayer [Jensen, 2000, p. 71; Stroumsa-Uzan, 2008, p. 56; Mitius, 1897, p. 90]. Presently, neither viewpoint can be definitively rejected due to a lack of substantial evidence. And yet, the semantic parallels cannot be easily ignored. If the Ordo commendationis animae was not the source for the earliest catacomb paintings, then what could have served as such? Both the prayer and the funerary art convey the same themes of salvation and resurrection through the narratives of the same Biblical heroes.
2	When considering the potential influence of the Ordo commendationis animae on funerary art, researchers often focus on the art of Rome and nearby provinces. This likely stems from the Latin language of the prayer, suggesting its use in Latin-speaking regions. No known versions of the Ordo commendationis exist in other languages that can be dated by the 3rd–4th centuries. However, painted tombs and mausoleums are also preserved in other regions, notably Northern Greece and Egypt. Their pictorial programs generally share significant similarities with the Roman paintings. On the other hand, some striking distinctions between these and Roman works are quite telling. Roman catacomb paintings and carved sarcophagi frequently depict Jonah, while Thecla is absent. In contrast, the Thessalonian tombs never reference Jonah, but at least one known depiction of Thecla is preserved. The pictorial programs of Early Christian mausoleums in the Bagawat necropolis (Kharga oasis, Egypt) routinely feature various episodes involving Thecla, yet they completely lack the New Testament scenes.
3	The semantic relationship between the Early Christian prayers and art might also shed light on the pictorial program of the baptistery of the Domus eclessiae in Dura Europos. Although it's not a funerary site, its composition includes similar scenes seen in funerary monuments. The particular selection of scenes is rather enigmatic. Given the early dating of the paintings (253 AD is their terminus ante quem and ca 232 is their estimated date according the Yale University Art Gallery and the Metropolitan Museum), and Dura Europos distance from major Early Christian cultural centers, it seems unlikely that the baptistery's artists had access to other Early Christian painted monuments for inspiration. In the absence of visual models, they might have turned to Early Christian texts or liturgical practices. R. M. Jensen concures that it may have had liturgical parallels, and, citing V. Schultze, refers to the book V of the Apostolic Constitutions, which mentions both the Old and New Testaments episodes [Schultze, 1919; Jensen, 2000, p. 71-72]. However, the timeline doesn't align, as the Constitutions were written in Syria around 380 AD [Britannica, Apostolic Constitutions]. The first six books are adaptations of the Didascalia apostolorum, penned in the mid-3rd century,¹ but the list of characters in the Didascalia is limited to a handful of Old Testament heroes.	1. Britannica, Didascalia Apostolorum. >>>>
4	The Orationes pseudocyprianae
5	The hypothesis that the Ordo commendationis animae and other Early Christian texts could have served as “guidelines” for pictorial programs is a valid one. H. Leclercq was the first scholar to identify the so-called Orationes pseudocyprianae as a predecessor of the Ordo Commendationis animae [Carbol, Leclercq, 1907, pp. 430-435]. He also argued that the Early Christian prayer for the dead could have evolved from Jewish prayers, in particularly the Mi she’anah [Carbol, Leclercq, 1907, pp. 437-438], a repetitive invocation mentioning multiple Biblical characters.
6	The prayer begins with the words, “He who answered Abraham on Mount Moriah, He will answer you and hear the sound of your cry on this day”.² An early version of the Mi she’anah is included in the second order of the Mishnah (Moed), which concerns ceremonies, rituals, observances, and prohibitions related to the Sabbath, religious festivals, and fast days [Ta'anit 2: 2-4]. The codification took final form early in the early 3rd century AD.³ The Mishnah version refers to just seven Biblical heroes, not all of whom are mentioned in the Ordo Commendationis Animae. Later Mi she’anah versions encompass a broad list of biblical characters.	2. English translation from The William Davidson digital edition of the Koren Noe Talmud. 3. Britannica, Mishna >>>>

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