Coptic ICONS
'Their history and Spiritual Significance'
By Dr. Zakaria Wahba
Adapted for Copt-Net from "The Orchard" monthly
review
Published by St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church,
Washington DC, USA.
January 1993
Icon is a word which describes a religious picture, which is used to
depict
the image of God. Today, the word "icon" is primarily associated
with the
paintings of the Orthodox Churches. Icons have prominent place in the life
and
worship of the Orthodox Church.
The word "icon" is derived from the Greek "eikon" or
from the Coptic word
"eikonigow" both of which are similar in their pronounciation. The
word icon
is used in the Greek Bible in the Old Testament where it says, "Then God
said,
let us make man in our image ..., so God created man in His own image, in
the
image of God he created" [Genesis 1:26-27]. This word is also used in the
New
Testament (the Greek Bible) in the Epistle of St. Paul to the Colossians,
"He
is the image of the invisible God" [Col 1:15].
Painting has been known since the dawn of the history. The ancient
Egyptian
artists were famous for their art of painting and carving. One of
their
famous works are frescoes representing stories and mythological subjects
in
the tomb of the priest Pet Osiris at Tuna el-Gebel near Mallawi in
the
province of Al-Menia, Egypt. This is also evident in the elaborate
sarcophagi
designs, where Pharaohs were buried. The covers of these sarcophagi
were
carved and painted to display a portrait of the buried Pharaoh, for
example
King Tutankhamen. Some of the rich people of pharaonic times were buried
with
their portraits iconified on a board. The ancient Greeks and Romans
had
similar customs.
Historians date the appearance of the iconographic style to the first
three
centuries of Christianity. Some archaeologists believe that icons were first
popular in people's houses and later began to appear in places of
worship,
probably at the end of the 3rd century. By the 4th and 5th centuries
A.D.
their use was widespread. The idea behind the use of icons in the Early
Church
is due to the unique experience the Church faced. Most Christians
converts
came from pagan cultures and most of them were illiterate. Many of them
had
difficulty understanding Biblical teachings and their spiritual meanings,
as
well as the historical events that took place in the Bible and in the life
of
the Church. Therefore, the leaders of the Early Church permitted the use
of
religious pictures (icons) because the people were not able to
assimilate
Christianity and its doctrine unaided by visual means. Therefore,
these
presentations aided the faithful in understanding the new religion and,
at
same time, illustrated it. With the conversion of the Roman
Emperor
Constantine (307-337 A.D.) to Christianity, the situation changed radically.
The Emperor hastened the triumph of Christianity over paganism by
forbidding
idolatry. The statues of the pagan gods were removed from the capital.
Icons
were used to decorate churches and state buildings. It is important to
point
out the role of the Patriarch Cyril I (404-430 A.D.), (also known by the
name
of Kyrillos the Pillar of faith), the 24th Coptic Pope. He permitted icons
to
be hung in the Patriarchate and all the churches in Egypt.
With the spread of icons in the centuries after the Emperor
Constantine,
Christians began to use icons in ways that were never intended, becoming
more
concerned with the art itself rather than as a tool for prayer or
Christian
instruction. Icons were never meant to be worshiped or venerated as
something
holy in themselves. The reverence shown to an icon must be done with
the
understanding that it is not the icon or artwork itself we are respecting,
but
rather the person or event it portrays. An icon is meant to be a window
into
the spiritual world, used to help us contemplate spiritual matters or to
put
us into a prayerful frame of mind, as a reminder of events in the Bible,
the
life of Christ and the Saints, but never as an object of worship.
A movement arose in the 8th century opting for the elimination of icons
from
churches on the grounds that they were being worshiped as graven images.
They
based their ideas on the Biblical verse, "Thou should not make unto thee
any
graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in the earth beneath,
or
that in the water under the earth, thou shalt not bow down thyself to
them,
nor serve them" [Exodus 20:4-5]. One of the key figures "Lawon
el-Esafry" and
his followers were involved in the destruction of many icons during this
period, which is known as the Iconoclast (icons-destruction) controversy.
It
is interesting to note that during the reign of Emperor Leo III in the
8th
century, the Iconoclast Controversy began and became a serious conflict in
the
Church. This coincided with the Moslem invasions of Syria, Iraq, Egypt
and
Persia. The Christian holy places in Jerusalem fell into Moslem hands.
During
this conflict the two most prominent theologians who stood to defend the
use
of icons in the Church were St. John of Damascus (675-749 A.D.) and
St.
Theodore of Studios (759-826 A.D.) at the 7th Ecumenical Council of
the
Eastern Orthodox Church in 787 A.D.
Although Christianity prohibited the worship of idols, the use of icons in
the
proper way was not banned due to the reasons mentioned before. History
relates
that the use of icons in the Church has its Christian roots from the time
of
Christ. There is a number of historical documents for these. First, it
is
known that the Evangelist Luke was a talented painter as well as a
physician.
He painted an icon presenting the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus,
which
many churches all over the world later on copied. Also, in a
reference
mentioned that the historian "Van Celub" found an icon of the
Archangel
Michael during his visit to a Cathedral in Alexandria, that was made by
the
Apostle Luke. Second, an icon the Savior made without hands, goes back to
the
first century when king Abagar of Edessa (located between the two rivers,
Euphrates and Tigris, an area in eastern Iraq) sent a message with his
envoy
Ananius to the Lord Jesus Christ to ask if He could visit the king to
heal
him. The king suffered from diseases and he wished to the Lord would come
and
live in his kingdom. Ananius the envoy was a talented artist, and tried
to
paint a picture of the Lord, however the glory and the perfect appearance
of
the Lord was so great that he was unable to do so. The story says that
the
envoy went back to the king with a piece of cloth that had an image
of
Christ's face. The image of the Holy Face of Christ healed the king of
his
diseases in the absence of Christ himself, the Holy image had power to
effect
the healing of the king. The legend is saying virtually the same as St
Paul
says "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass of the Lord,
are
changed into the same image from glory even as by the spirit of the
Lord"
[2-Cor 3:18]. This story and the two letters were copied word for word
and
published (in pages 56 and 57) in the book of "The History of the
Church" by
the early Christian historian Eusebius of Caesaria [264-340 A.D.].
Third,
another story of early icon use involves the woman in [Luke 8:43] that
Jesus
Christ healed from a twelve year bleeding. The woman had drawn on the door
of
her house (in village of Banias, near the source of the Jordan river)
a
representation of Christ and another of herself lying prostrate at his
feet.
The historian Eusebius of Caesaria has cited this in his book "The
History of
the Church" after he saw the image at the woman's house which was still
intact
at the time of his visit in the 3rd century.
Therefore, an icon can be used in the service of the Gospel and the
Holy
Tradition of the Church, not a mere artistic device. Icons are windows
into
heaven. A believer meditates on the person whose portrait is on the icon.
In
this way an icon may play a role in enhancing the spiritual life of
the
believer through the imitation of the life of the person in the
icon.
Therefore, icons can be a blessing in our lives if we use them in a
spiritual
way. An icon is not merely a piece of art, but it carries a lot of
spiritual
meaning in our lives. The center of Christian faith, is that "the Word
became
flesh" [John 1:1]. It is not surprising to see that the loving and
merciful
face of our Lord Jesus Christ is the subject of most icons.
The art of making Orthodox icons follow certain symbolism that carries
a
meaningful message. Some of these characteristics are: First, large and
wide
eyes symbolize the spiritual eye that look beyond the material world,
the
Bible says "the light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine
eye be
simple, thy whole body shall be full of light" [Matthew 6:22]. Second,
large
ears listen to the word of God; "if any man have ears to hear, let them
hear"
[Mark 4:23]. Third, gentle lips to glorify and praise the Lord "My mouth
shall
praise thee with joyful lips" [Psalm 63:5]. The eyes and ears on a
figure in
an icon are disproportionately large, because a spiritual person spends
more
time listening to God's word and seeking to do God's will. On the other
hand,
the mouth, which can also be often be the source of empty or harmful words
is
small. The nose, which is seen a sensual is also small. Also, when an
evil
character is portrayed on an icon, it is always in profile because it is
not
desirable to make eye contact with such a person and thus to dwell or meditate
upon it. Figures in Coptic icons often have large heads, meaning that
these
are individuals devoted to contemplation and prayer. Icon artists
deeply
understood the meaning and benefit of icons on the spiritual life of
the
believers. It is interesting to note that the majority of the Coptic
icons'
artists did not sign their names. They were not looking or
self-glorification
and fame, even the few who signed their names did so in the form of a
prayer;
such as "Remember O Lord your servant (name)". Some icons portray
Saints who
suffered and were tortured for their faith with peaceful and smiling
faces,
showing that their inner peace was not disturbed, even by the hardships
they
endured, and suffered willingfully and joyfully for the Lord. Although
the
aristic style of iconography varies a little from one culture to another,
all
Orthodox icons have the same meaning, usage and symbolism (this includes
the
Eastern Orthodox Churches; Greek, Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, ... etc,
as
well a the Oriental Orthodox Churches; Coptic, Armenian, Syrian,
Ethiopian,
... etc).
There are a few names that have been important in the Coptic
iconography.
They are arranged chronologically:
(1) St. Luke the Evangelist, who was a talented painter and is credited
with
painting the first icon.
(2) Pope Macari I, the 59th Patriarch (931-95O A.D.)
(3) Abu Yusr ibn Yalg of the 12th century.
(4) Pope Gabriel III, the 77th Patriarch (1261-1263 A.D.)
(5) John el-Nassikh, Baghdady Abu el-Saad and John the Armenian of the
17th
and 18th centuries, and
(6) Anastasy the Greek of the 19th century.
Nowadays, the art of Coptic iconography is been revived by dedicated
artists
who are both professional and amateurs. The icon artist Dr. Ishaq Fanous,
who
is the professor of Coptic art at the Higher Institute for Coptic Studies
in
Cairo, has done a lot of work for many churches in Egypt and abroad.
It is interesting to note that from time to time, we witness miracles
performed by God through icons. For instance, in the last few years there
have
been Icons that have "wept" oil. This phenomenon has lead to the
healing of
many, the conversion of some non-Christians, and the renewal of faith
for
Christians. This has happened in Cleveland, OH, Houston, TX, in Egypt and
in
other churches such as the Albanian Orthodox Church in Chicago, IL.
These
happenings have attracted the attention of the National and International
News
Media.
In conclusion, icons in the Orthodox tradition are not to be taken as art
for
art's sake but rather, they are to be used as windows into spiritual
world,
designed to help us achieve a prayerful mind set and lead us into a life
of
prayer and contemplation. The interested reader might want to check the
icons
scanned and stored in Copt-Net Archives.
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