Christian Iconography and Biblical Interpretation

Since the Bible is regarded as the most important source of Christian iconography and iconography in return is the visual interpretation of the Bible, the relationship between Christian iconography and biblical interpretation is noteworthy. In some cases this relationship is such that the visual representation is actively involved in the interpretation of the biblical text and is not a mere passive illustration of the text. In order to better understand the different periods of Christian iconography, it is also important to consider the biblical interpretive methods. This article, first summarily introduces the two important schools of Antioch and Alexandria; and then moves on to show the reflections of the teachings of these two schools on early Christian art, with which it was contemporary. Attempts will then be made to show this relation in the different examples of the iconography of this era, and to compare it with that of the later periods.