Tradition of the image of edessa
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars
Published: 2016
Place of publication: [S.l.]
Language: eng
Number of pages: 267
ISBN-13: 9781443885812
Subjects: Holy Face of Edessa
Description: The Image of Edessa was an image of Christ, which, according to tradition, was of miraculous origin. It was taken from Edessa to Constantinople in 944, and disappeared from known history in the aftermath of the Fourth Crusade in 1204. It generated, however, a vast amount of literature and hundreds of copies in churches all over the Byzantine world. This book is a study of the literature, paintings, icons and other aspects related to the Image of Edessa. It examines how it was used as a tool to express Christ's humanity and for various other purposes, and how some of the related literature became completely decontextualised and used as a magical charm, especially in the West.