Articulating the geometricalia of Scripture
-
Mary Carruthers
Abstract
Focusing on Richard of St Victor’sRichard of St Victor treatise De contemplatione, which analyses the ‘steps’ in contemplative thinking, I discuss the creative processes he describes for humans to elevate their minds towards God and then, just as importantly, to be able to teach others to comprehend Divinity in the manner in which they are best able. He distinguishes three ‘ways’ using as his prototypes the Exodus description of God’s Covenant with mankind as expressed in the TabernacleTabernacle and ArkArk of the Covenant. MosesMoses directly receives God’s Covenant, but then must translate that into the human language of AaronAaron the Priest, which he does in the form of geometric plans for the Ark of the Covenant. Aaron transmits these plans to their architect, BezalelBezalel, who then makes them into material structures. At each stage of this process, the language for mediating and making the Covenant humanly comprehensible is geometry, expressed in architecture through the dimensions of the TabernacleTabernacle and its furnishings, and linguistically through the persuasive oratory of both Moses and Aaron. Richard pays most attention to the ‘way’ of the human architect Bezalel, fashioning earthly architecture to God’s ordained patterns. Through these three types, Richard stresses the boundaries of human knowing and the intense desire to know and understand more fully upon which their salvation depends. The last part of this chapter focuses on how the Menorah (the seven-branched candelabrum described in Exodus) was dealt with in Victorine exegesis.
Abstract
Focusing on Richard of St Victor’sRichard of St Victor treatise De contemplatione, which analyses the ‘steps’ in contemplative thinking, I discuss the creative processes he describes for humans to elevate their minds towards God and then, just as importantly, to be able to teach others to comprehend Divinity in the manner in which they are best able. He distinguishes three ‘ways’ using as his prototypes the Exodus description of God’s Covenant with mankind as expressed in the TabernacleTabernacle and ArkArk of the Covenant. MosesMoses directly receives God’s Covenant, but then must translate that into the human language of AaronAaron the Priest, which he does in the form of geometric plans for the Ark of the Covenant. Aaron transmits these plans to their architect, BezalelBezalel, who then makes them into material structures. At each stage of this process, the language for mediating and making the Covenant humanly comprehensible is geometry, expressed in architecture through the dimensions of the TabernacleTabernacle and its furnishings, and linguistically through the persuasive oratory of both Moses and Aaron. Richard pays most attention to the ‘way’ of the human architect Bezalel, fashioning earthly architecture to God’s ordained patterns. Through these three types, Richard stresses the boundaries of human knowing and the intense desire to know and understand more fully upon which their salvation depends. The last part of this chapter focuses on how the Menorah (the seven-branched candelabrum described in Exodus) was dealt with in Victorine exegesis.
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- List of Contents V
- Introduction 1
-
I. Tabernacle and Temple
- Das Schicksal des siebenarmigen Leuchters aus dem Jerusalemer Tempel im mittelalterlichen Rom 3
- Priest, Temple, Jewishness, Redemption? 37
- Articulating the geometricalia of Scripture 79
- Vasari and Giambullari on the Menorah, the Tabernacle, and Bezalel 97
- Die Menora in Raffaels Vertreibung des Heliodor und Garofalos Vertreibung der Wechsler aus dem Tempel 143
-
II. Image and Exegesis
- tres gradus fidelium in ecclesia 169
- Jewish and Christian Re-Imagining of the Seven-branched Lampstand in the Postilla litteralis of Nicholas of Lyra (d. 1349) 217
- Der siebenarmige Leuchter im Speculum humanae salvationis 243
- The Sanctuary’s Implements 271
- “A Secret Particularly Obscure” 307
-
III. Patronage and Memoria
- Aniane and Fulda 341
- Seven-branched Candelabra in Medieval England 365
- Marienwohlde oder Mölln? 415
- Siebenarmige Leuchter im 16. Jahrhundert 443
-
IV. Context and (Re-)Use
- Der siebenarmige Leuchter im Heiligtum von Mentorella (Vulturella) in Latium 475
- „Madonna del Albero, dandole tal cognome quella gran pianta“ 503
- Der siebenarmige Leuchter in der Marienkirche in Frankfurt an der Oder 543
- „den store liusestaken af bronz med dess Siu lampor“ 577
- Survivals and Revivals of the Menorah in Medieval and Early Modern European Synagogues 613
- Figures and Charts 653
Kapitel in diesem Buch
- Frontmatter I
- List of Contents V
- Introduction 1
-
I. Tabernacle and Temple
- Das Schicksal des siebenarmigen Leuchters aus dem Jerusalemer Tempel im mittelalterlichen Rom 3
- Priest, Temple, Jewishness, Redemption? 37
- Articulating the geometricalia of Scripture 79
- Vasari and Giambullari on the Menorah, the Tabernacle, and Bezalel 97
- Die Menora in Raffaels Vertreibung des Heliodor und Garofalos Vertreibung der Wechsler aus dem Tempel 143
-
II. Image and Exegesis
- tres gradus fidelium in ecclesia 169
- Jewish and Christian Re-Imagining of the Seven-branched Lampstand in the Postilla litteralis of Nicholas of Lyra (d. 1349) 217
- Der siebenarmige Leuchter im Speculum humanae salvationis 243
- The Sanctuary’s Implements 271
- “A Secret Particularly Obscure” 307
-
III. Patronage and Memoria
- Aniane and Fulda 341
- Seven-branched Candelabra in Medieval England 365
- Marienwohlde oder Mölln? 415
- Siebenarmige Leuchter im 16. Jahrhundert 443
-
IV. Context and (Re-)Use
- Der siebenarmige Leuchter im Heiligtum von Mentorella (Vulturella) in Latium 475
- „Madonna del Albero, dandole tal cognome quella gran pianta“ 503
- Der siebenarmige Leuchter in der Marienkirche in Frankfurt an der Oder 543
- „den store liusestaken af bronz med dess Siu lampor“ 577
- Survivals and Revivals of the Menorah in Medieval and Early Modern European Synagogues 613
- Figures and Charts 653
