DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43337#0428
CHAPTER TWO. THE ICONOGRAPHIC PROGRAMME | 425
However, there was no narthex in the church at Akhtala (the porch was
added later) and in The Caucasus the prothesis chapel was usually left
undecorated. This accounts for the otherwise untraditional disposition
of the cycle163.
THE PROPHET ELIJAH CYCLE
On the northern wall of the southwest compartment located exactly
below the three hagiographic scenes of the Baptist cycle are three com-
positions from the life of the Prophet Elijah164. Only tiny fragments
of the first scene have been preserved. Above, it contained a human
figure of which today part of the garments remains and below, a group
of people who can be recognized from the partially eroded contours of
the preliminary sketch. At the very bottom we see a piece of land cov-
ered with greenery. This detail permit the hypothesis that the «Miracle
on Mount Carmel», described in the third book of Kings (3 Kings 18:
19-38), was the scene depicted here. On the mountain stood the figure
of the prophet calling down fire on the altar. Below him was shown the
people who came to witness the great dispute between Elijah and the
priests of Baal. It is much easier to identify the second composition. An
elderly man is shown sitting among the cliffs, turning his head to an
angel descending from heaven. The entire pose of the bent figure with
his left hand pressed to his breast indicates
how unexpected this divine apparition was.
«The Prophet Elijah in the Wilderness» shows
him being awoken by the angel bringing him
a loaf of bread and a pitcher of water (3 Kings,
19:4-7). The last composition in the cycle is
the Ascension of the Prophet Elijah» (4 Kings
2:11-12). Four pairs of horses hooves are clearly
shown in the surviving upper left part of the
scene, obviously depicting the fiery chariot.
These scenes depicting Elijah in the Akhta-
la murals deserve our special attention since
they are the earliest surviving cycle of the ha-
giographic depictions of this saint in Eastern
Christian monumental painting165. The most
164 On East Christian images of Elijah,
see Wessel K. Elias // Reallexikon zur
byzantinischen Kunst, bd. 2 Stuttgart,
1971, Sp. 90-93; Reau L. Iconographie
de prophete Elie // Elie le prophete:
Selon les Ecritures et les traditions
chretiennes, 1.1. Paris, 1956, pp. 233-
276; Mijovic P. Theophany in painting
Morace // Proceedings of Svetozar Ra-
dojcic. Belgrade, 1969, pp. 179-194.
165 The oldest Byzantine cycle was,
evidently, in the Constantinopolitan
Nea (New) Church, built by Emperor
Basil I (867-886), whose mother had
a dream in which Elijah prophesied
that her son would get the crown. The
prophet’s cloak and belt were pre-
served in a chapel of the church. See
MirkovicL. Liturgika. Belgrade, 1961,
p. 249. - In Sebian.
However, there was no narthex in the church at Akhtala (the porch was
added later) and in The Caucasus the prothesis chapel was usually left
undecorated. This accounts for the otherwise untraditional disposition
of the cycle163.
THE PROPHET ELIJAH CYCLE
On the northern wall of the southwest compartment located exactly
below the three hagiographic scenes of the Baptist cycle are three com-
positions from the life of the Prophet Elijah164. Only tiny fragments
of the first scene have been preserved. Above, it contained a human
figure of which today part of the garments remains and below, a group
of people who can be recognized from the partially eroded contours of
the preliminary sketch. At the very bottom we see a piece of land cov-
ered with greenery. This detail permit the hypothesis that the «Miracle
on Mount Carmel», described in the third book of Kings (3 Kings 18:
19-38), was the scene depicted here. On the mountain stood the figure
of the prophet calling down fire on the altar. Below him was shown the
people who came to witness the great dispute between Elijah and the
priests of Baal. It is much easier to identify the second composition. An
elderly man is shown sitting among the cliffs, turning his head to an
angel descending from heaven. The entire pose of the bent figure with
his left hand pressed to his breast indicates
how unexpected this divine apparition was.
«The Prophet Elijah in the Wilderness» shows
him being awoken by the angel bringing him
a loaf of bread and a pitcher of water (3 Kings,
19:4-7). The last composition in the cycle is
the Ascension of the Prophet Elijah» (4 Kings
2:11-12). Four pairs of horses hooves are clearly
shown in the surviving upper left part of the
scene, obviously depicting the fiery chariot.
These scenes depicting Elijah in the Akhta-
la murals deserve our special attention since
they are the earliest surviving cycle of the ha-
giographic depictions of this saint in Eastern
Christian monumental painting165. The most
164 On East Christian images of Elijah,
see Wessel K. Elias // Reallexikon zur
byzantinischen Kunst, bd. 2 Stuttgart,
1971, Sp. 90-93; Reau L. Iconographie
de prophete Elie // Elie le prophete:
Selon les Ecritures et les traditions
chretiennes, 1.1. Paris, 1956, pp. 233-
276; Mijovic P. Theophany in painting
Morace // Proceedings of Svetozar Ra-
dojcic. Belgrade, 1969, pp. 179-194.
165 The oldest Byzantine cycle was,
evidently, in the Constantinopolitan
Nea (New) Church, built by Emperor
Basil I (867-886), whose mother had
a dream in which Elijah prophesied
that her son would get the crown. The
prophet’s cloak and belt were pre-
served in a chapel of the church. See
MirkovicL. Liturgika. Belgrade, 1961,
p. 249. - In Sebian.