The ox and the donkey in the iconography of the Nativity of Christ
Article summary proposed by the Contacts review with LLM assistance
This article focuses on the presence of the ox and the donkey in the Christian iconography of the Nativity of Christ. Sandrine Caneri conducts an exegetical and iconographic study combining the analysis of visual representations of the nativity scene with the scriptural sources of the Old and New Testaments. The main idea is that these two animals, far from being mere decorative elements, convey a precise theological meaning rooted in the Hebrew biblical tradition. The article makes a twofold contribution: it highlights the typological continuity between the two Testaments and sheds light on the connections between Jewish and Christian traditions in the construction of the meaning of the feast of the Nativity. This contribution is of interest to specialists in Byzantine iconography as well as to researchers in exegesis and the theology of religions.
This article has not been translated yet — it is available in its French version here.
The rest of this article is reserved for subscribers of the Contacts review.
Subscribe to read more
Digital subscription · Immediate access to the Contacts library