“Visigothic Art”: The Sacrifice of Isaac, a Flashback

Before examining the historiated capitals at San Pedro de la Nave, a brief flashback through monuments familiar to students from the introductory survey provides some necessary background. 

The Sacrifice of Isaac found its earliest representation at the Dura Synagogue, in the panel above the Torah shrine.  (You may note the source of the image, Eikon: Image Database for Biblical Studies, at the Yale Divinity School).  When it appears on the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus, the writings of Irenaeus (Against Heresies) and Tertullian (An Answer to the Jews) articulate the typological relationship of the Sacrifice of Isaac to the Crucifixion of Christ.  Finally, in the mosaics at San Vitale in Ravenna, the Sacrifice of Isaac, paired within the lunette with the Visit of the Three Angels to Mamre, which in turn are together paired with the Sacrifices of Abel and Melchisedech on the other side on the altar, becomes a prototype of the liturgy.  This brief excursion into the development of the typological potential of the Sacrifice of Isaac offers a useful prelude to an understanding of its meaning at San Pedro de la Nave.