The Iconography of the Crucifixion

More on Greek Orthodox icons…

I want to point out an interesting feature of Orthodox icons about the crucifixion. But before that we should point out some of the fairly obvious features.

First, we tend to see Mary and the women to the left of the cross. Mary is sometimes distinguished as the only woman with a halo around her head. On the other side of the cross is John, also with a halo, and the Centurion who confesses that “Surely this was the Son of God.”

In the background we see the city walls and gates of Jerusalem. This depicts Jesus being crucified “outside the gate,” a reference to the scapegoat ritual during the Day of Atonement where the scapegoat carries the sins of the people “outside the camp.”

One interesting feature in some icons is showing the sun and moon. The sun is generally darkened. The moon is colored red. These symbols echo this passage in Scripture:

Revelation 6.12-13
I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.

This passage in Revelation is believed to echo events at the cross after Jesus’ death:

Matthew 27.50-52
And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs, and after Jesus' resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

This brings me to what I consider to be the most interesting feature of these icons as it is non-obvious and is a theological addition to the icon. If you look at the base of the cross you see a skull and perhaps even some bones.

The bible says that Jesus was crucified at a place called Golgotha, the place of the skull. In church tradition the place of the skull was the burial site of Adam. Symbolically, therefore, Jesus is being crucified directly over Adam’s tomb. In the icons we can see this tomb being cracked open which exposes Adam’s skull and bones.

This image represents a couple of different things. First, there is in this association the symbolism that Jesus is now replacing Adam as the New Adam. A new humanity is being established over the death of the old.

Secondly, we see in Adam’s skull the strong Orthodox notion that what was defeated at the cross was death. This is the same emphasis that leads the Orthodox to focus on the harrowing of hell at Easter.

Finally, beyond victory over death, victory over sin is symbolized as the blood of Jesus runs down off of the cross to cover and purify the skull and bones of Adam, representing all of sinful humanity. This particular motif is best seen in the last icon which is bloodier and, thus, clearly shows the blood of Jesus flowing down and over the skull.