A Revealing Mural
To the northeast of Throne Hall stands the
Monastery of St. Anthony. It is believed to have
been founded by the first bishops of Dongola. The
Monastery consists of a church and associated
buildings, including housing for monks and
structures to serve pilgrims. The complex was
enlarged and rebuilt in the 11th century.
Within this complex are a number of painted
murals. While some images are similar to those in
the Byzantine capital, others are quite distinct. For
example, the story of how Jesushealed a blind
man is familiar to those who have read the Bible.
However, in Dongola, the man Jesus heals is
shown as an African (see inset opposite). It is easy
to imagine that this miraculous act would have
been more meaningful to local inhabitants if they
saw Jesus healing someone who looked like
themselves.Unusual or Common?
In a painting above a doorway (see photo opposite
bottom), the Archangel Gabriel wields a flaming
sword that, for a teenaged American visitor,
brought to mind a pop culture weapon: “It looks
like a Sith light saber [from Star Wars].” A painting
ofJosephnext to aNativity sceneshows a man
who looks more perplexed than blessed at the birth
of Jesus. The depiction is very unusual. How might
we interpret this? Perhaps Joseph’s expression (see
above) reflects a skepticism found in the outer
reaches of Christianity at this time. Or perhaps, as
the Polish excavators have suggested, this was not
unusual iconography for the time. Rather, it stands
out as other examples from the center of
Byzantium were destroyed during the period of
iconoclasm.The capital of an empire often holds its greatest
treasures. However, the frontier reaches of empires
also play a major role in helping historians
determine which symbols and images are variable
and which are key in helping to define the culture.Jack Cheng, Ph.D., is an archaeologist and writer who lives near
Boston, Massachusetts.What do you think of this
depiction of Joseph?I’m ready,
Just let me know Dr. Cheng!
where you need
me on this dig!In the Christian religion, Jesus is the central figure as the son of God.
The Archangel Gabriel is God’s messenger.
Joseph is the husband of Mary, mother of Jesus.
Nativity scene refers to an artistic representation of the birth of Jesus Christ. Such scenes are often displayed at Christmas.