Description

The Birth of Jesus Christ, the Beginning of the Salvation of the World

The Birth of Christ is a world-historic event that divides history into two. God becomes man, taking flesh and bones, to save mankind from sin and decay.

This unique image depicts the Birth of Jesus in the manger of Bethlehem, along with the shepherds’ adoration and the angels who glorify the God-man.

Images are considered the Gospel for the illiterate, theologians affirm. This particular collectible image confirms this, as it captures the world-saving event of the Birth of the Lord.

The Birth of Christ: Interpretation of the Icon

The black triangular cave symbolizes the darkness of the pre-Christian world.

In the manger, there is the “Child,” wrapped in white swaddling clothes. Also present are two animals, an ox and a donkey. Their presence is explained by the prophecy of Isaiah: “The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger. But Israel does not know, my people do not understand” (Isaiah 1:3).

The angels are located at the top of the icon. Half of them glorify God, while the others bring the good news to the shepherds. The star indicates the location of the manger.

At the center of the icon is the Virgin Mary. She is the largest of all the figures, emphasizing her role in the salvation of humanity.

Lithograph of the Birth of Christ: Features

Using a lithographed copy of Byzantine art, the monk-iconographer crafted this work following the traditional method of artificial aging, as taught at Mount Athos. The edges of the image feature engravings from the artificial aging method.