Last Supper

[[File:The Last Supper graffiti Tel-Aviv promenade by Ana Kogan.jpg|thumb|right|165px|An even laster supper]]
{{Christianity}}
The '''Last Supper''' generally refers to the final meal [[Jesus]] had with his [[apostle]]s and is the basis for the [[Eucharist]] and Maundy Thursday of the Holy Week. It is based on [[bible|biblical]] references from the [[Gospels]] as well as [[Corinthians]].

It may also refer to several famous works depicting the scene, specifically Leonardo da Vinci's ''Last Supper''.

==The Bible==
According to the [[New Testament]], the Last Supper is the last meal [[Jesus]] had before his arrest and [[Crucifixion]] and the basis of the [[Eucharist]]. The Bible contradicts itself; the [[Gospel of Luke]], [[Gospel of Mark]], and [[Gospel of Matthew]] say it happened on day 1 of the [[Passover]], while the [[Gospel of John]] puts it the day before Passover. [[Paul of Tarsus]] says he got a personal revelation about the Lord’s Supper ({{bible|1 Corinthians|11|23}}). The slaying of the sacrificial bull in Mithraism parallels the sacrificial slaying of Jesus.<ref>http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/paul_carlson/nt_contradictions.html </ref><ref> http://www.farvardyn.com/mithras4.php </ref>

However, if the Last Supper happened the night before Jesus' crucifixion on Good Friday, it could not have been the Seder because {{wpl|Days_of_week_on_Hebrew_calendar#The_four_gates|the first night of Passover can never fall on a Thursday}}. The first night of Passover can fall on a Friday night, which lends more credibility to John's assertion than the other three.

==Fresco==
[[File:Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) - The Last Supper (1495-1498).jpg|left|thumb|300px|Leonardo da Vinci's ''The Last Supper''.]]
''The Last Supper'' is, as stated above, a huge-ass fresco painted by Leonardo da Vinci during the 1490s.  It hangs in the Santa Maria delle Grazie church in Milan.  It depicts Jesus' last meal with his apostles before his crucifixion.  The apostle to the left of Jesus is purported to be St. John, albeit with a hint of femininity. The fresco contains much symbolism and is controversially interpreted in [[Dan Brown]]'s novel, ''[[The Da Vinci Code]]''.

=== Is that a woman? ===
One 
fantastical
 "controversial" aspect of the ''Last Supper'' is the gender of the figure commonly identified as St. John and whether it is, in fact, [[Mary Magdalene]]. Much debate concerning St. John's gender stems from ''The Da Vinci Code'' and the book 
it plagiarized
 that covered conspiracies regarding Jesus before it. 

In the fresco, St. John is depicted in a [http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Images/Chicago/barcilon_john3.gif very feminine way].  Sadly for conspiracy theorists and [[Dan Brown]] enthusiasts, conventions of the day<ref>The Florentine School and the Portrayal of Male Youth -http://arthistory.about.com/od/renaissanceart/a/altheyoungdudes.htm</ref> were to paint younger men in an effeminate way, and Da Vinci was no stranger to painting men quite effeminately - even to the point where some people believe that the ''Mona Lisa'' is actually a Bloke and not a Sheila. There would also be a considerable problem because the painting was commissioned to depict Jesus and his 12 followers, and as there are only 13 people in the painting, the inclusion of Magdalene would have to be at the expense of another apostle. This blatant oversight would have been noticed when the fresco was commissioned.

==See also==
*[[Fun:Crucifiction]]

==External links==
*[http://arthistory.about.com/cs/leonardo/a/last_supper.htm Leonardo da Vinci - The Last Supper]
*[http://www.godwords.org/posts.php?id=53 Who's that Woman in the Last Supper?]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Bible]]
[[Category:Christianity]]

Categories: Bible, Christianity