DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43337#0406
CHAPTER TWO. THE ICONOGRAPHIC PROGRAMME | 403
formed a link in the uninterrupted chain of saints running round the
foot of every wall in the church and thus uniting the «Last Judgement»
with the Mariological and Christological cycles. Furthermore, the se-
ries marked a kind of margin, being both linked to the «Last Judge-
ment» and quite independent of it.
The series of prophets depicted on the protruding arch in the centre
of the west vault which marks the end of the scenes from the «Last
Judgement» performs a similar function. Unfortunately, poor preser-
vation does not permit us to identify the first seven figures. Only the
cap of the high priest and the open scroll in his hand enable us to rec-
ognise the prophet Daniel. The series of prophets recalls the Old Testa-
ment predictions of the Second Coming. Their depiction can be seen as
a theological commentary on the Deesis composition which included
motifs drawn from the prophetic visions (tetramorphs, the wheels in
flames and the fiery stream)110. We may regard the appearance of these
prophetic figures along the border of the «Last Judgement» to be a part
of the Georgian iconographic tradition111. The earliest example comes
from the frescoes of Ateni (second half of the 11th century) where the
prophets were shown in the lower tier of the west apse below the scenes
of the «Last Judgement»112. In the Timotesoubani murals a depiction of
the prophet Daniel on the southwest pillar introduces the scenes from
the «Last Judgement»113. He holds an open scroll in his hand contain-
ing the text of his vision: «I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and
the Ancient of Days did sit...» (Daniel 7:9). In all likelihood, the very
same text was formerly on the scroll held by Daniel in Akhtala.
Specifically Georgian features can be found not only in the overall
structure of the composition, but also in the interpretation of partic-
ular images in the Akhtala «Last Judgement». Characteristic in this
respect is the interpretation of the «Scales of Justice», the symbolism of
which has deep and ancient Oriental roots114. In Byzantine churches it
was traditional only to depict the Archangel Michael holding the scales
111 Thierry, Le Jugement Dernier d’Ahtala, p. 164.
112 For a detailed description of the composition, see Ovch/nn/TcovAW. A copy-reconstruction as
a method to recoverthe lost iconography (for example, the composition of «The Last Judgement»
from Ateni) // IV International Symposium on Georgian art.Tbilisi, 1983, pp. 1-20.
113 See Privalova ELTimotesubani painting, p. 92.
114Asmall study, «The Scales of Justice», is dedicated to the source of this iconographic motif.See
Murj'yanov M.F. Studies of the Nereditsa frescoes //Vizantijskiy Vremennik, 34 (1973), pp. 204-8.
formed a link in the uninterrupted chain of saints running round the
foot of every wall in the church and thus uniting the «Last Judgement»
with the Mariological and Christological cycles. Furthermore, the se-
ries marked a kind of margin, being both linked to the «Last Judge-
ment» and quite independent of it.
The series of prophets depicted on the protruding arch in the centre
of the west vault which marks the end of the scenes from the «Last
Judgement» performs a similar function. Unfortunately, poor preser-
vation does not permit us to identify the first seven figures. Only the
cap of the high priest and the open scroll in his hand enable us to rec-
ognise the prophet Daniel. The series of prophets recalls the Old Testa-
ment predictions of the Second Coming. Their depiction can be seen as
a theological commentary on the Deesis composition which included
motifs drawn from the prophetic visions (tetramorphs, the wheels in
flames and the fiery stream)110. We may regard the appearance of these
prophetic figures along the border of the «Last Judgement» to be a part
of the Georgian iconographic tradition111. The earliest example comes
from the frescoes of Ateni (second half of the 11th century) where the
prophets were shown in the lower tier of the west apse below the scenes
of the «Last Judgement»112. In the Timotesoubani murals a depiction of
the prophet Daniel on the southwest pillar introduces the scenes from
the «Last Judgement»113. He holds an open scroll in his hand contain-
ing the text of his vision: «I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and
the Ancient of Days did sit...» (Daniel 7:9). In all likelihood, the very
same text was formerly on the scroll held by Daniel in Akhtala.
Specifically Georgian features can be found not only in the overall
structure of the composition, but also in the interpretation of partic-
ular images in the Akhtala «Last Judgement». Characteristic in this
respect is the interpretation of the «Scales of Justice», the symbolism of
which has deep and ancient Oriental roots114. In Byzantine churches it
was traditional only to depict the Archangel Michael holding the scales
111 Thierry, Le Jugement Dernier d’Ahtala, p. 164.
112 For a detailed description of the composition, see Ovch/nn/TcovAW. A copy-reconstruction as
a method to recoverthe lost iconography (for example, the composition of «The Last Judgement»
from Ateni) // IV International Symposium on Georgian art.Tbilisi, 1983, pp. 1-20.
113 See Privalova ELTimotesubani painting, p. 92.
114Asmall study, «The Scales of Justice», is dedicated to the source of this iconographic motif.See
Murj'yanov M.F. Studies of the Nereditsa frescoes //Vizantijskiy Vremennik, 34 (1973), pp. 204-8.