mankind. Thus Luke not only “draws water for the lambs” from the
Fathers, but he prefigures the Second Coming of Christ himself, the
moment of salvation. The mandorla—the oval “halo” that surrounds him
—was frequently used to portray Christ in glory.
Why would Emperor Otto III want to own a Gospel book of such
theological sophistication? It is very likely because he saw himself as part
of the divine order. He called himself the “servant of Jesus Christ,” and he
appears in one manuscript within a mandorla, just like Luke. (See the
illustration below.) In this depiction, the symbols of the evangelists hold up
the scarf of heaven that bisects the emperor: his feet touch the ground
(note the cringing figure of Earth holding him up), while his head touches
the cross of Christ, whose hand places a crown on his head. Otto III saw
himself—much like Christ (and Luke)—as mediating between the people
and God.
