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DOI Artikel:Dobrzeniecki, Tadeusz: Some iconographical notes on the Maiestas Domini
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18859#0090
of the Prophecy of Isaiah and when writing about the beginnings of the activity of Christ in
Galilea, he says that Jesus' Teaching in Kapharnaum arose the surprise of the listeners: Stu-
pebant super doctrina eius; erat enim docens eos, quasi potestatem habens et non sicut Scribae.71
The counterpart to this text of Mark is the pericope of Lukę (4, 16—30), in which Jesus already
during his first public appearance at Nazareth, declares Himself to be the Messiah: ..Et venit
Nazareth, ubi erat nutrilus, et intravit secundum consuetudinem suam die sabbati in synagogam,
et surrexit legere. Et traditus est Uli liber Isaiae prophetae. Et ut revolvit librum, irwenit locum ubi
scriplum erat: Spiritus Domini super me: propter quod unxit me, evangelizare pauperibus... Et
cum plicuisset librum, reddit ministra, et sedit. Et omnium in synagoga oculi erant intendentes
in eum. Coepit autem dicere ad illos: Quia hodie impleta est haec scriptura in auribus vestris.
The whole Christology of Lukę is summarized in this pericope75. Its central point is the pro-
phecy quoted above the accomplishment of which in the person of Jesus is stated cxpressis
verbis. On the basis of the formuła of Isaiah 61,1 the idea of the Bestowing of Jesus with the
Holy Ghost was expressed and in this sense was understood the Anointment shown visibiliter during
the Baptismin Jordan. Lukę gave to this pericope on the Nazareth the meaning of the program:
the matter of the ąuotation from Isaiah is so adeąuate with the understanding by Lukę the
Soteriological meaning of the person of Christ, that the words of the Prophet Spiritus Domini
super me prove themselves especially appropriate as a foretoken of the main subject of the
Gospel of Lukę which is the representation of the operation of the Holy Ghost in the Son
of God.76
Maiestas Domini with the Dove as our analysis of the two Polish monuments shows, is
an illustration of the formuła Spiritus Domini super me through which Christ revealed His
Messianic dignity.
St John the Baptist twice took down the statement of Christ Ego sum77. This formuła is a
special kind of the Theophany, the Bevelation of Himself, the visualization of His transcen-
dental essence78. Jahve told Moses: Ego sum qui sum — I am who I am, this is my name for
ever and this is my calling for the furthest generations. Already St Augustine recognized that
the formuła Ego sum qui sum is an Old Testamental name of God, which is given to Jesus. This
opinion was shared by the Middle Ages and gave to this conviction the elocjuent expression
in the representations of the Maiestas Domini in which we may find both the inscribed formuła
Ego sum qui sum as well as the akin to it theophanic statements recorded in the Old79 and New
Testaments.
74. Mark, I, 22.
75. H.v. Bauer, Der Heilige Geist in den Lukasschriften, Stuttgart, 1926 p. 62—66: Der Heilige Geist iii der Erzahlung vom
messianisehen Auftreteu Jesu in der Synagogę zu Nazareth; H. Conzelmann, Die Mitte der Zeil. Sludien zur Theologie
des Lukas ( = Beitrage zur historischen Theologie 17), Tubingen 1960, B. Der Weg Jesu a) Galilea, Lukę IV, 16—30;
F. Hahn, Christologische Hoheitstilel. Ihre Geschichte im friihcn Christentum, Berlin, 1965 p. 394—396: Jesu Predigt in
Nazareth; II. Schurmann, Das Lukasevangelium, Ersler Teil, Leipzig, 1970, p. 225—244: Der Beginn der Verkiindigung.
Jesu Seibstoffenbarung in Nazareth Lulce IV, 16—30.
76. See St Jeromc's eommentary to the Book of Isaiah, Mignę, Patrologia Latina LXXVI, col. 17—678: cuius unctio ilto
expleta est tempore quando liaplisalus est in Jordane et Spiritus sanclus in specie columbae descendit super eum et mansit
in illo. De quo et hic idem Prnphela dieebat: et reąuiecet super eum spiritus Dei... Unde et Salualor cum venissct in Nazareth,
cumąue surrexissct ad legendum, datus est ei liber Isaiae prophetae, quo aperlo, invenit seriptum: Spiritus Domini super
me... Unclus est igitur Spiritu Sancto.
77. John, 8,23. 28.
78. A. Hajduk, "Ego eimi" bei Jesus und seine Mesianitat, Communio viatorum, IV, 1963, p. 55—60; II. Zimmermann,
"Das absolute ego eimi ais die neutestamentliehe Oflenbarungsformel," Biblische Zeitschrift, IV, 1960, p. 4—69; R. Sehnac-
kenburg, Das Johahnestwangelium, II. Teil. Kommentar zu Kap. 5—12, Freiburg 1971, p. 59—70: Herkunft und Sinn
der Formel ego eimi ( = ego sum).
79. Ego sum Deus Abraham (Exodus III, 6), Coelum et terram ego impleo (Ieremias, XXIII, 24), Ego sum Dominus Deus yester
(Leviticus XIX, 2).
80
Galilea, he says that Jesus' Teaching in Kapharnaum arose the surprise of the listeners: Stu-
pebant super doctrina eius; erat enim docens eos, quasi potestatem habens et non sicut Scribae.71
The counterpart to this text of Mark is the pericope of Lukę (4, 16—30), in which Jesus already
during his first public appearance at Nazareth, declares Himself to be the Messiah: ..Et venit
Nazareth, ubi erat nutrilus, et intravit secundum consuetudinem suam die sabbati in synagogam,
et surrexit legere. Et traditus est Uli liber Isaiae prophetae. Et ut revolvit librum, irwenit locum ubi
scriplum erat: Spiritus Domini super me: propter quod unxit me, evangelizare pauperibus... Et
cum plicuisset librum, reddit ministra, et sedit. Et omnium in synagoga oculi erant intendentes
in eum. Coepit autem dicere ad illos: Quia hodie impleta est haec scriptura in auribus vestris.
The whole Christology of Lukę is summarized in this pericope75. Its central point is the pro-
phecy quoted above the accomplishment of which in the person of Jesus is stated cxpressis
verbis. On the basis of the formuła of Isaiah 61,1 the idea of the Bestowing of Jesus with the
Holy Ghost was expressed and in this sense was understood the Anointment shown visibiliter during
the Baptismin Jordan. Lukę gave to this pericope on the Nazareth the meaning of the program:
the matter of the ąuotation from Isaiah is so adeąuate with the understanding by Lukę the
Soteriological meaning of the person of Christ, that the words of the Prophet Spiritus Domini
super me prove themselves especially appropriate as a foretoken of the main subject of the
Gospel of Lukę which is the representation of the operation of the Holy Ghost in the Son
of God.76
Maiestas Domini with the Dove as our analysis of the two Polish monuments shows, is
an illustration of the formuła Spiritus Domini super me through which Christ revealed His
Messianic dignity.
St John the Baptist twice took down the statement of Christ Ego sum77. This formuła is a
special kind of the Theophany, the Bevelation of Himself, the visualization of His transcen-
dental essence78. Jahve told Moses: Ego sum qui sum — I am who I am, this is my name for
ever and this is my calling for the furthest generations. Already St Augustine recognized that
the formuła Ego sum qui sum is an Old Testamental name of God, which is given to Jesus. This
opinion was shared by the Middle Ages and gave to this conviction the elocjuent expression
in the representations of the Maiestas Domini in which we may find both the inscribed formuła
Ego sum qui sum as well as the akin to it theophanic statements recorded in the Old79 and New
Testaments.
74. Mark, I, 22.
75. H.v. Bauer, Der Heilige Geist in den Lukasschriften, Stuttgart, 1926 p. 62—66: Der Heilige Geist iii der Erzahlung vom
messianisehen Auftreteu Jesu in der Synagogę zu Nazareth; H. Conzelmann, Die Mitte der Zeil. Sludien zur Theologie
des Lukas ( = Beitrage zur historischen Theologie 17), Tubingen 1960, B. Der Weg Jesu a) Galilea, Lukę IV, 16—30;
F. Hahn, Christologische Hoheitstilel. Ihre Geschichte im friihcn Christentum, Berlin, 1965 p. 394—396: Jesu Predigt in
Nazareth; II. Schurmann, Das Lukasevangelium, Ersler Teil, Leipzig, 1970, p. 225—244: Der Beginn der Verkiindigung.
Jesu Seibstoffenbarung in Nazareth Lulce IV, 16—30.
76. See St Jeromc's eommentary to the Book of Isaiah, Mignę, Patrologia Latina LXXVI, col. 17—678: cuius unctio ilto
expleta est tempore quando liaplisalus est in Jordane et Spiritus sanclus in specie columbae descendit super eum et mansit
in illo. De quo et hic idem Prnphela dieebat: et reąuiecet super eum spiritus Dei... Unde et Salualor cum venissct in Nazareth,
cumąue surrexissct ad legendum, datus est ei liber Isaiae prophetae, quo aperlo, invenit seriptum: Spiritus Domini super
me... Unclus est igitur Spiritu Sancto.
77. John, 8,23. 28.
78. A. Hajduk, "Ego eimi" bei Jesus und seine Mesianitat, Communio viatorum, IV, 1963, p. 55—60; II. Zimmermann,
"Das absolute ego eimi ais die neutestamentliehe Oflenbarungsformel," Biblische Zeitschrift, IV, 1960, p. 4—69; R. Sehnac-
kenburg, Das Johahnestwangelium, II. Teil. Kommentar zu Kap. 5—12, Freiburg 1971, p. 59—70: Herkunft und Sinn
der Formel ego eimi ( = ego sum).
79. Ego sum Deus Abraham (Exodus III, 6), Coelum et terram ego impleo (Ieremias, XXIII, 24), Ego sum Dominus Deus yester
(Leviticus XIX, 2).
80