The Entry into Jerusalem, c.1300, Cedar wood, 31 x 13.1 cm, The British Museum, London, 1878,1203.3, The Trustees of the British Museum / Art Resource, NY
While images of the Entry into Jerusalem celebrate the manifestation of Christ’s divine glory, most Christians will know that the story also marks the beginning of the Passion narrative. Jesus descends from the Mount of Olives, from where he will ascend to heaven (Acts 1:9–12), knowing that in proceeding towards Jerusalem he also moves towards his crucifixion on Golgotha (Matthew 27:33; Mark 15:22; John 19:17). In the carved scene shown here, which is part of a set of ten relief panels that decorated the double doors of the sanctuary screen from the Hanging Church in Cairo, the artist has skilfully combined these two moments of triumph and death into a single image.
Instead of riding towards Jerusalem, as he does in the other two works in this exhibition, Christ is shown sitting side-saddle on a colt on top of a tree which alludes to the cross of the crucifixion and the tree of life in Genesis (2:9) and Revelation (2:7; 22:2). This reading is based on Peter (Acts 5:30) and Paul (Galatians 3:13) who refer to the cross as a ‘tree’. The reference to the crucifixion is reinforced by the small cross on Christ’s nimbus.
Notwithstanding the allusion to the crucifixion, the scene on the panel emphasizes Jesus’s triumph over death rather than his human suffering. This impression is strengthened by the fact that the donkey has an unnaturally curved back, probably thus creating a visual parallel with depictions of the Maiestas Domini where Jesus sits on a globe. By presenting Jesus as an enthroned ruler suspended above a crowd of onlookers, the panel ultimately presents the Entry into Jerusalem as a prefiguration of the Second Coming (Matthew 24:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:17).
References
Hunt, Lucy-Anne. 1989. ‘The Al-Mu Allaqa Doors Reconstructed: An Early Fourteenth-Century Sanctuary Screen from Old Cairo’, Gesta, 28.1: 61–77
Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–10; Luke 19:29–40; John 12:12–19
Revised Standard Version
Matthew 21
21 And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethʹphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3If any one says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and he will send them immediately.” 4This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
5“Tell the daughter of Zion,
Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on an ass,
and on a colt, the foal of an ass.”
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7they brought the ass and the colt, and put their garments on them, and he sat thereon. 8Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” 11And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Mark 11
11 And when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethʹphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, 2and said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat; untie it and bring it. 3If any one says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’ ” 4And they went away, and found a colt tied at the door out in the open street; and they untied it. 5And those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6And they told them what Jesus had said; and they let them go. 7And they brought the colt to Jesus, and threw their garments on it; and he sat upon it. 8And many spread their garments on the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. 9And those who went before and those who followed cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest!”
Luke 19
29When he drew near to Bethʹphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30saying, “Go into the village opposite, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat; untie it and bring it here. 31If any one asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this, ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ” 32So those who were sent went away and found it as he had told them. 33And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their garments on the colt they set Jesus upon it. 36And as he rode along, they spread their garments on the road. 37As he was now drawing near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
John 12
12 The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14And Jesus found a young ass and sat upon it; as it is written,
15“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
sitting on an ass’s colt!”
16His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him. 17The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazʹarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. 18The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19The Pharisees then said to one another, “You see that you can do nothing; look, the world has gone after him.”
Unknown artist, Egypt
The Entry into Jerusalem, c.1300, Cedar wood, 31 x 13.1 cm, The British Museum, London, 1878,1203.3, The Trustees of the British Museum / Art Resource, NY
Image and Christology
While images of the Entry into Jerusalem celebrate the manifestation of Christ’s divine glory, most Christians will know that the story also marks the beginning of the Passion narrative. Jesus descends from the Mount of Olives, from where he will ascend to heaven (Acts 1:9–12), knowing that in proceeding towards Jerusalem he also moves towards his crucifixion on Golgotha (Matthew 27:33; Mark 15:22; John 19:17). In the carved scene shown here, which is part of a set of ten relief panels that decorated the double doors of the sanctuary screen from the Hanging Church in Cairo, the artist has skilfully combined these two moments of triumph and death into a single image.
Instead of riding towards Jerusalem, as he does in the other two works in this exhibition, Christ is shown sitting side-saddle on a colt on top of a tree which alludes to the cross of the crucifixion and the tree of life in Genesis (2:9) and Revelation (2:7; 22:2). This reading is based on Peter (Acts 5:30) and Paul (Galatians 3:13) who refer to the cross as a ‘tree’. The reference to the crucifixion is reinforced by the small cross on Christ’s nimbus.
Notwithstanding the allusion to the crucifixion, the scene on the panel emphasizes Jesus’s triumph over death rather than his human suffering. This impression is strengthened by the fact that the donkey has an unnaturally curved back, probably thus creating a visual parallel with depictions of the Maiestas Domini where Jesus sits on a globe. By presenting Jesus as an enthroned ruler suspended above a crowd of onlookers, the panel ultimately presents the Entry into Jerusalem as a prefiguration of the Second Coming (Matthew 24:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:17).
References
Hunt, Lucy-Anne. 1989. ‘The Al-Mu Allaqa Doors Reconstructed: An Early Fourteenth-Century Sanctuary Screen from Old Cairo’, Gesta, 28.1: 61–77
Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–10; Luke 19:29–40; John 12:12–19
Revised Standard Version
Matthew 21
21 And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethʹphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. 3If any one says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and he will send them immediately.” 4This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet, saying,
6The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; 7they brought the ass and the colt, and put their garments on them, and he sat thereon. 8Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9And the crowds that went before him and that followed him shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10And when he entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” 11And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Mark 11
11 And when they drew near to Jerusalem, to Bethʹphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, 2and said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever sat; untie it and bring it. 3If any one says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it and will send it back here immediately.’ ” 4And they went away, and found a colt tied at the door out in the open street; and they untied it. 5And those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” 6And they told them what Jesus had said; and they let them go. 7And they brought the colt to Jesus, and threw their garments on it; and he sat upon it. 8And many spread their garments on the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. 9And those who went before and those who followed cried out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! 10Blessed is the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the highest!”
Luke 19
29When he drew near to Bethʹphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, 30saying, “Go into the village opposite, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat; untie it and bring it here. 31If any one asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this, ‘The Lord has need of it.’ ” 32So those who were sent went away and found it as he had told them. 33And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” 34And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” 35And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their garments on the colt they set Jesus upon it. 36And as he rode along, they spread their garments on the road. 37As he was now drawing near, at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, 38saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39And some of the Pharisees in the multitude said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”
John 12
12 The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 14And Jesus found a young ass and sat upon it; as it is written,
16His disciples did not understand this at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that this had been written of him and had been done to him. 17The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazʹarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness. 18The reason why the crowd went to meet him was that they heard he had done this sign. 19The Pharisees then said to one another, “You see that you can do nothing; look, the world has gone after him.”
More Exhibitions
The Rider on the White Horse
Revelation 19:11–21
False Prophets and Fallen Angels
2 Peter 2
Adam’s Curse
Genesis 3:17–19, 23