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id=154
 32. ICON WITH CHRIST
PANTOKRATOR1
Dating: 6th/7th century
Dimensions: 84x45.4 cm.
Place of keeping: God Trodden Mount Sinai Holy
Monastery, Saint Catherine’s
32
Encaustic icon on panel attributed to Constantinople and
preserved in good condition. The original engaged frame of the icon
is lost. Selected parts of the background appear to have been
reworked. On the representation’s first level we see Christ frontal
according to the Pantocrator type. He wears a royal purple chiton
and himation, blessing with the right hand while with the left hand
He holds Gospel bound with gilded leather and decorated with cross
and gamma from precious stones and pearls. On the second level, left
and right from the shoulders of Christ, part of an architectural
structure is depicted. The sky that surrounds Christ’s halo is blue,
while at the point that is connected with the architectural structure it
becomes azure providing a sense of landscape. The surface of the
sky is decorated right and left by two eight-pointed stars of similar
style as the sixteen-pointed star of ancient Greek tradition. The face
of Christ has two different expressions in this depiction,
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corresponding to the two Wills He brought together in Him. On the
left part of His face somehow the human face of Christ is depicted
while on the left the divine one. The first one seems to radiate the
benevolence of Logos and the second His Just and Terrible
Judgment, something that creates a unique artistic depiction of His
God-Man nature, nature that was assumed by Logos in His
embodiment and His condescendence to this incarnate situation, in
order to save mankind2.
This icon is the oldest surviving depiction of Christ on a
portable icon and it has been related to the respective one that was at
the Chalke Gate of the palace in Constantinople. It is possible that it
was a personal gift from emperor Justinian to the Holy Monastery of
Mount Sinai since he took particular care to ensure the peace and
quiet of the monks there. A third view could relate this icon with the
decision regarding the two Wills and against Monotheletism of the
6th and 5th Ecumenical Council (680-681 and 692) according to
which the respective representation of Christ started to decorate
one side on the coins of the empire. But regarding the latter
hypothesis, documentation is pending for a date not in the 6th
century, as it is argued lately, but in the end of the 7th century, a
date that anyhow has not been ruled out.3
This icon, like the encaustic one of the Virgin (cat. no. 31), was
set in the narthex of the Catholicon. As the earliest icon of Jesus
Christ in the monastery since 6th century it has been an essential
part of the pilgrimage at Sinai. [D.K.]
Bibliography
G.Sotiriou - M.G.Sotiriou, Εἰκόνερ ηῆρ Μονῆρ Σινᾶ, Athens 1956-
1958, vol. 2, 161-162.
K.Weitzmann, Ikonen aus dem Katharinenkloster auf dem Berge
Sinai, Berlin 1980, 13-15.
G.Galavaris, Early Icons (from the 6th to the 11th Century), in Sinai.
Treasures of the Monastery, K.Manaphes (ed.) Ekdotike
Athinon, Athens 1990, 92-93, 135 fig. 1,136 fig.2.
Ν.Chatzidakis, Ο Χπιζηὸρ Πανηοκπάηωπ, in N.Ζias, (ed.), Μςζηή-
πιον Μέγα, καὶ Παπάδοξον, Athens 2001.188-189.
Archbishop Damianos, The Icon as a Ladder of Divine Ascent in the
Form and Color, in H.C.Evans, (ed.), Byzantium, Faith and
Power (1261-1557), Exhibition Catalogue, The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York (March-July 2004), New Haven -
London 2004, 336, fig. 11.2.
Pages 236-237.
2
See additional plates 1-9. * By dark red color is written any addition
on the published text of 2008.
3
* The iconography of that Sinai icon as well as that of on the Solidus
of the Roman emperor Justinian II, dated at 692 A.D, they look
like having common the historical reason for their creation;
maybe they represent the first dogmatic depictions of the decisions
of the 6th and 5th Ecumenical Council, related to the “face”, the
“will” and the “nature” of Jesus Christ. Any chronological
placement of this iconography remains well unexplainable before
the decisions of the end of 7th century. A date at 692 A.D means
that this iconography was first time introdused almost 25 years
before the opening of the period of Iconoclasm; After that period
this iconography it comes well established as the most sacred
archetype for the representations of the Christ Pantocrator,
alongside all the post iconoclastic period.
**The almost gold color and the monumental two towers they are
behind the shoulders of Christ, they remind easily the same shape
of the towers of Golden Gate at the South-West part of the
Theodosian walls of Constantinople. See additional plates 10-15.
 123

Pl.1.The Icon with Christ Pantocrator, detail. 4 …………………..…..…….Pl.2.The Solidus of Justinian II, 692 A.D.
……………………………………………………………………….ByBByzantine and Christian Museum of Athens5

1
2
*Digital image processing of all the plates are made by the author of the text.
3
4
About the theology and the iconographic similarity of these two representations of Christ Pantokrator see 1. Chr.Baltogianni, Icons, The
Christ in incarnation and passion, Adam-Pergamos, Athens 2003, 19-21 fig.6 (in Greek), 2. Fr. Maximos Constas (of Simonopetra),
“The Face of Christ in a Sixth-Century Icon from Sinai” chap. 1 in; The Art of Seeing: Paradox and Perception in Orthodox
Iconography, Sebastian Press, Western American Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Alhambra, 2014. 51-57, fig.2-12, PDF
https://www.academia.edu/ /10385233/The_Face_of_Christ_in_a_Sixth-Century_Icon_from _Sinai_chap._1_from the_The Art_ of_
Seeing_
5
Chr.Baltogianni, 20-22, fig.6. Fr. Maximos Constas, 44-45, fig.3. http://greatshroudofturinfaq.com/History/Greek-Byzantine/Pre-944
AD/Vignon/justinianII coin 692. html.
 Pl.3, 4. The same iconography of Christ Pantokrator,
as “Merciful” (right part of His face), as “Right Judger” (left part of His face).

PL.5, 6. Christ Pantokrator, the “Right Judger” of all the humans during His 2nd coming.
 Pl. 7, 8. Christ Pantokrator, the “Merciful”, the Incarnated Logos and Savior of all the Humans
during the 1st coming,

Pl.9. The face of Christ as only “Merciful”; detail from the mosaic of Transfiguration,
conch of Holy Bema in the Catholicon of God trodden holy Mount Sinai Monastery, St. Catherine. Mid sixth century6

6
Chr.Baltogianni, 16-19, fig.5. Fr. Maximos Constas, 51-54, fig. 3.
.
 Pl.10. The almost gold color and the monumental two towers they are behind the shoulders of Christ.

Pl.11 The Theodosian Golden Gate of the walls of Constantinople7 General aspect and plan8.

7
Al. Kazdan, The Golden Gate Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, (1991), Oxford University Press, 858.
8
https://www.flickr.com/photos/21711359@N08/3971004773/sizes/o/
 Pl.12. Virtual representation of the Golden Gate of the Theodosian walls of Constantinople- Istanbul9.

Pl.12. The Virtual representation of the Golden Gate behind the shoulders of Christ, added by image processing.

9
See: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f1/a9/4e/f1a94ef70524e2a3fe6c2f822fc1380c.jpg ,
or by the name of file: f1a94ef70524e2a3fe6c2f822fc1380c.
 Pl.14. Contemporary picture of the Golden Gate, capture from South- West to North-East10.

Pl.15. Contemporary picture of the Golden Gate, capture from in font, West to East11.

10
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Theodosian_Golden_Gate.jpg
11
http://www.foto-out.dk/thewall/content/_1021567782_large.html