Jesus in the Temple

Our latest Bible picture story is of the 12 year old Jesus in the Temple, (Luke 2:41-51). Picture 1 shows Mary Joseph and Jesus stopping for a moment on a hillside overlooking Jerusalem. As they admire the view, many people are making their way to the temple for the Passover feast.

Picture 2 shows the family climbing the steps approaching one of the gates in the outer wall of the temple complex. Some artists have shown the Shofar being blown when depicting this story, I've checked this out from two sources and both have confirmed that the shofar was not blown at passover. If you would like to know what the shofar sounds like, click here. (It sounds remarkably like me practicing my bugle when I was in the boy scouts!) Picture 2 also shows Jesus carrying the sacrificial lamb on His shoulders.
Update: 31.08.08
I've been asked the question "Should the Lord Jesus, being sinless, have been taking a lamb for a sacrifice? Might this suggest that He had sins to atone for?"
The answer is no! The Passover is very different from the day of Atonement. The Paschal lambs offered at Passover were not considered as an atonement for sin, or a sin offering. Passover is a time when the nation of Israel celebrates the deliverance of the LORD by means of the blood of the lamb. For a more detailed explanation click here.
This was again foreshadowing the sacrifice of Jesus. Just as the Israelites were safe from Gods judgement as they took shelter under the blood of the lamb applied to the door posts and lintel, we can only be safe from the judgement of God on our sins by taking refuge under the shed blood of Christ which is applied when we fully trust in Jesus and His sacrifice as the only way back to God. (John 14: 6)

Picture 3 shows Mary and Joseph on their way home from Jerusalem and discussing where Jesus is. It was a three day trip from Jerusalem to Nazareth, so they were almost half way home when they realised that Jesus was missing!
Picture 4 (above) shows Jesus in the temple reading from a scroll. Mary and Joseph are looking on in the background. The Hebrew text on the scroll is readable and Jumbo, (our language expert), informs me that it's from Exodus 12!

Picture 5 (right) shows Mary and Joseph talking with Jesus. The viewpoint is from the 'Eastern Gate' looking across the 'Womens Court' to the Temple.
The bronze doors of the Nicanor Gate are now open revealing the magnificent 'Golden Vine' of the temple just inside the porch. The golden doors are open so the curtain, that was the subject of the 'Defending Rembrandt' post, is drawn across the entrance. You can just make out the Altar to the right of Jesus' shoulder. In the larger version of this picture you can see, (if your eyesight's good), a scarlet line around the waist of the altar.
There is no mention in the scriptures of a scarlet line around the Altar of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness nor in that in the Temple of Solomon, but according to Middot 3.2. a red line surrounded the middle of the Altar that stood in front of Herod's Temple.
Source 'The Quest' pg367.
It's now 3-4 days after the passover and work on the Temple has resumed as can be seen by the Herodian craftsmen carrying timber in the background of this picture.

Following our discussion on symbolism in the paintings of the earlier Bible artists, (see comments on the 'Elsie Anna Wood' post), I decided to add some symbolism into this picture. I've shown the body of Jesus touching the Altar, (although the Altar is some distance away). This is a reminder that, 21 years later, the 'Lamb of God' would be sacrificed, not on an Altar but on a cross, for the sins of the world.

A very short distance from this spot (the Holy of Holies) in Old Testament times, God had provided a Ram as a substitute for Isaac. This was a foretelling of Gods plan to provide a perfect sinless sacrifice (Jesus) to die as a substitute for the sins of the world so that "Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life". John 3:16.

There are 5 pictures in this set which brings our total Bible picture count to 725.

Related posts:
What did Herod's Temple look like?
The Quest

Defending Rembrandt

I recently came across a very interesting article on JSTOR titled 'Rembrandt and Josephus' by Franz Landsberger who I believe was professor of 'The History of Art' at the University of Breslau. The article was originally printed in the The Art Bulletin in 1954 and can be viewed here.

In the article professor Landsberger informs us that amongst the inventory of Rembrant's possesions taken in 1656 were the complete works of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus. Landsberger goes on to show us that Rembrant studied the works of Josephus when working on his Bible pictures of the Temple. He comments:
Rembrandt has represented the Temple in Jerusalem on several occasions but never in such detail as in the etching of 1659, Peter and John at the Gate of the Temple. (See above). Where did Rembrandt get information about the appearance of this Temple?...........This Temple has been described in detail, though not always systematically and clearly, by the Jewish historiographer Josephus.........I maintain that the artist followed that description.

Landsberger also mentions how Rembrandt used the German translation of Josephus which omits certain details about Herod's temple which led Rembrandt to illustrate a round as opposed to a square altar. Rembrandt also places the altar at the top of the 12 steps leading to the temple. The Altar was in fact accessed by a ramp and was positioned in front of, and offset to the left of the 12 steps in the Temple court. (according to a diagram in The Quest').
It looks like a very interesting article although, not being a subscriber to JSTOR, I only have access to the first page of it! There is one observation that professor Landsberger makes about the canopy in Rembrandt's etching (above) though, that I disagree with. He writes:
The second gate, leading from the porch to the Holy, had a costly curtain which Josephus describes in Antiquities and the War of the Jews. He calls it a "Babylonian curtain" and praises its colors and patterns. Rembrandt, in order to show this curtain, has pulled it forward so that it spans the porch like a canopy. The portion of it which hangs down perpendicularly, shows an indication of the patterns mentioned by Josephus.

Pulling forward a curtain in the temple so that viewers could see it didn't sound to me like something that a Bible artist would do. Dr Leen Ritmeyer confirmed my doubts when he explained to me the purpose of this curtain.
"The veil was intended to screen the entrance to the sanctuary, so that people couldn't look into it when the doors were opened. It was never used as a canopy".
I believe that the canopy shown in Rembrandt's etching is just that, a canopy! Typical of the canopies that most Bible artists include in their pictures. I have gleaned one helpful bit of information from all of this; The entrance to the sanctuary was concealed either by the magnificent golden doors or, when the doors were open, by the "Babylonian curtain" described by Josephus in War 5.212
All comments welcome!

Green text © Franz Landsberger 1954.

'The Quest'

I've just finished reading Dr Leen Ritmeyers excellent book 'The Quest' which is a study of the archaeology of the Temple Mount. This is a terrific book and I would highly recommend it to Bible artists. It's packed with visual information. Diagrams, photos, illustrations, etchings, maps and some superb artwork done by Jewish artists for the Temple Institute which show many of the Temple rituals in detail.

There's too much in the book to cover here, so I'll just touch on a couple of subjects to 'whet your appetite!'
The positioning of the Ark
Dr Ritmeyer has uncovered what appears to be very strong evidence pointing to the actual positioning of the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies (Debir).
This is a fascinating section of the book which indicates that the Ark would have been seen 'end on' when entering the Holy of Holies via the veil. Not 'side on' as most artists, (including myself), have drawn up until now. It you want to know more, you'll have to get the book!


Golden Spikes!
The Quest also deals with the Temple itself and is packed with information regarding it's construction and the many activities that took place there.
Did you know, for instance, what the golden spikes that edged the temple roof were for? To answer this Ritmeyer quotes the Jewish historian Josephus who saw Herod's Temple with his own eyes:
"from its (the Temple's) summit protruded sharp golden spikes to prevent birds from settling and polluting the roof,"

The Quest also touches on some of the interesting topics that we've discussed on this blog such as "What might the Cherubim have looked like?" Josephus said, "As for the cherubim themselves, no one can say or imagine what they looked like."
Despite this, 'The Quest' has some nice photos of a small scale model showing the giant cherubim that overshadowed the Ark in Solomon's Temple. (Not to be confused with the cherubim on the Ark itself).

My conclusion? Some might find the archeological details heavy going in parts, but I enjoyed it and would recommend it as a very useful tool for Bible artists.

Copies of The Quest are obtainable either directly from the author or from the publisher. There are other interesting titles by the same author, (and his wife), available from the Carta bookstore.

Related posts:

Guest Bible Artist #4

What did Herod's Temple look like?

Houses in Bible times

Herod's Temple Mount model update

I had a long telephone conversation last week with author and model maker Alec Garrard, (pictured above). As I mentioned in a previous post Mr Garrard is the builder of the world famous 'Herod's Temple' model in the U.K.. People travel from all over the world to see this amazing model which is reputed to be the most authentic of its kind.

I asked Mr Garrard if the model is finished. He laughed and replied "It will never be finished!" He went on to tell me that although there are many tiny detailed figures already populating the Temple model, they only represented a fraction of the number that would have populated the vast Temple complex in its day!
As well as making more tiny biblical figures, Mr Garrard is in personal contact with the leading archeologists in Israel, and is always ready to add any new details to the model based on any new archeological finds at the Temple Mount site.

Sadly, there's no website to visit that documents this model, and Mr Garrard, (who is not on the internet), has no plans to launch one, although he does have teaching DVD'S and videos available from his home. The model can be visited any Sunday at Mr Garrard's farm in Suffolk. Moat Farm, Fressingfield, Eye, Suffolk, IP21 5TB. England. You can also order DVD's by phone. Tel: 01379 855361.

For copyright reasons no photography of the model is allowed. However, If any Bible artist would like any photos taken from a particular angle of the model (for reference only), Mr Garrard is happy to oblige for a very reasonable fee.

I also asked about the differences, from model to model, in the design of the giant lamp stands that stood in the 'Women's court'. This is down to the varying sources of information regarding Herod's Temple. The sources used by Alec Garrard in connection with the lamp stands predate the Mishnah, but were not included in it.

Alec Garrard's book 'The Splendor of the Temple' is available from Amazon.com.
I've also ordered a copy of 'The Quest' by Dr Leen Ritmeyer which I'm looking forward to receiving. I will write more about that soon! Alec Garrard's model is based on the historical research up to 1993 of Dr Ritmeyer.

Photo © Alec Garrard / Kregel publications 2008.

Related posts:
'What did Herod's Temple look like?'

What did Herod's Temple look like?

I've just been working on illustrations for the Bible story of 12 year old Jesus' visit to the Temple with Mary & Joseph for the feast of the Passover, (Luke 2:42). This is one of a number of New Testament stories that takes place in Herod's Temple complex. Because the Temple appears in so many stories, it's important that Bible artists have some idea of what it looked like. The Temple took a staggering 43-46 years to build, although it was never fully completed in accordance with the original design. The Temple was built in the classical Roman style. The reason it's called Herod's Temple is because it was 'Herod the Great' who, in an attempt to gain the favor of his Jewish subjects, ordered the rebuilding of the Temple on a much grander scale. The Temple was almost completely destroyed in A.D. 70, (which Jesus prophesied in Matthew 24:1-2).

We see little evidence in Bible pictures of construction work taking place on the Temple despite the fact that during the whole life of Jesus the Temple was under construction! Bible artist William Hole didn't miss this fact, as in at least two of his paintings you can see construction workers in the background working on the Temple! Hole is one of the few artists who showed the Temple in great detail. His picture (left) shows the 15 semicircular steps that led from the 'Court of the Women', through the 'Nicanor Gate' to the 'Court of the Priests' in which stood the 'Alter of Sacrifice'. My only criticism of this picture is the use of Byzantine paneling on the walls. (similar to that seen on the exterior of the Dome of the Rock). Hole was heavily influenced by Byzantine & Arab architecture during his visit to the Holy land, as can be seen from his use of dome topped buildings in his Bible pictures. The other point was that the Court of the Women was actually outside, not inside as this picture clearly shows. Hole would have easily realised this, had he had access to one of the many scale models of Herod's Temple. Sadly, they were all built after his lifetime.


Alec Garrards Temple Model
In my quest to find out more about the Temple I purchased a copy of Alec Garrard's book 'The Splendor of the Temple', (available from Amazon). Suffolk farmer Alec Garrard devoted 18 years to creating a scale model of Herod's Temple which is reputed to be the best in the world! The model measures 20 feet by 12 feet in size. The book contains detailed photos of the model from all angles so it's a great reference guide for Bible artists. This model really has to be seen to be believed. Every single clay brick used in the construction of this model was hand baked in Mr Garrard's oven! The book describes in detail every area of the Temple both above and below ground and suggests the areas of the Temple where the various Bible stories took place.

How do we know what Herod's Temple looked like?
After all, as I've already mentioned, it was almost completely destroyed by the Roman army in A.D. 70! Although there is very little detailed information recorded in the Bible about Herod's Temple, there are several reliable sources that describe in detail what the Temple looked like. The following sources were used by those involved in reconstructing scale models of Herod's Temple:
Firstly, they had the writings of Jewish historian Flavius Josephus who lived during the time of Herod's Temple and witnessed it's destruction. To give you some idea of the exorbitant sums Herod spent on the Temple, Josephus speaks of marble being "overlaid with gold!"
The Mishnah, which is a codification of the oral Jewish law, was also a rich source of information for researchers regarding the Temple.
In addition to this, they had of course all the archaeological evidence, and the writings of expert archaeologists like Dan Bahat and Dr Leen Ritmeyer who I believe have written much about the Temple complex. Alfred Edersheim's book 'The Temple: It's Ministry and Services' also proved helpful to researchers and model makers alike.

Architectural details
I've been reading about ancient Jewish Art to try and get an idea of what type of images would be found decorating the interior walls of the Temple. I mentioned in an earlier post that the 'Star of David' was not used till much later but images of seven stick menorahs have been found carved in stone from this period and earlier.
There is some surviving stonework from the Temple that shows that the Herodian craftsmen were careful to use decorative styles that conformed to Jewish law, (no figurative representation). Any figurative representation would contravene the second commandment. Instead elaborate floral motifs were used which included Vine and Acanthus leaves. Later, in the 3rd and 4th cent A.D, when Jewish art became more Hellenised, figures in a Hellenistic-Persian style were found in synagogues, both on floor mosaics and wall frescos.
in I Kings 7:25. The walls of Solomon's Temple had embroidered tapestries of cherubim hanging on them, and of course we read in Exodus 26 of the artistic designs of cherubim being woven into the curtain of the tabernacle. (See the 'Drawing Cherubs' post). I would like to find out more about the internal furnishings of the Temple, so if you know of any good books or links, please let me know.

There are a number of scale models of Herod's Temple around the globe. As well as Alec Garrards 1/100 scale model in the U.K, there was also one in the grounds of the 'Holyland Hotel' in Jerusalem, (which has since moved to the Israel Museum). Another can be found in the 'Holy Land Experience' in Orlando, Florida, and there is a 1/300 scale model made by 'York model makers' which is available from Dr Leen Ritmeyer.
There's only one difference that I've noticed between these models, and that is the design of the four giant 'Lamp stands' that stood in the 'Women's Court'. I can only assume that the descriptions given of them in the sources mentioned above were unclear.

Related posts:
Interview with Dr Leen Ritmeyer
Herod's Temple Mount model update