Capital and Abacus - Story of Saint John the Baptist and Salome
Capital and Abacus - Story of Saint John the Baptist and Salome
Published 2018-07-19T14:39:23+00:00
The abacus above this capital shows a simple scrolling foliage.
Direction of reading:
- Left side: Salome dances before Herod on his throne.
- Right side: Death of Saint John the Baptist (beheading or "decollation"), his soul ascends to heaven in the form of a naked child received by Christ.
- Main panel, from right to left: the executioner hands Salome the head of John the Baptist on a platter - Salome presents the head of John the Baptist to her mother, Herodias.
Saint John the Baptist was the last of the prophets of Isreal. He baptised Jesus and recognised him as the Messiah. He was imprisoned for criticizing the incestuous marriage of Herod, ruler of Galilee, to Herodias, his brother's wife. During a banquet, Salome (the daughter of Herodias) dances for her stepfather, Herod. Entranced, Herod promises her anything she wishes. Her mother, Herodias, seeking to take revenge asks her daughter to demand the death of John the Baptist. On Herod's orders, the executioner beheads him. The crime accomplished, Salome brings her mother his head on a platter.
Date published | 19/07/2018 |
Complejidad | Medio |