Synagoga

myminifactory

This sculpture is a part of a sculpture type known as 'Ecclesia and Synagoga'. Ecclesia and Synagoga is the name given to symbolic representations in Christian art of the Middle Ages that symbolize the triumph of Christianity. In sculpture, they are often depicted as large figures on either side of a church portico, as seen in this notable example from Strasbourg Cathedral. They are well documented in medieval Christian manuscript art. The two figures are shown as women, both usually young and attractive; Ecclesia is adorned with a crown, chalice, and cross-topped staff, looking confidently forward. In contrast, Synagoga is blindfolded and drooping, carrying a broken lance and the Tablets of the Law or Torah scrolls that may even be slipping from her hand. The staff and spear may have pennants flying from them. In images of the Crucifixion, Ecclesia may hold a chalice that catches the blood spurting from the side of Christ; she often holds the chalice as an attribute in other contexts. Attributes sometimes carried by Synagoga include a sheep or goat or just its head, signifying Old Testament sacrifice, in contrast to Ecclesia's chalice which represents the Christian Eucharist. If not blindfolded, Synagoga usually looks down. The medieval figures reflect the Christian belief that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah, and that Judaism as a religion was therefore made unnecessary once Christianity was established. Today, this belief is opposed by dual-covenant theology. The refusal of medieval Jews to "see" this point was regarded as stubborn, which is reflected in Synagoga's blindfold. The Gospel of Matthew (27, 51) relates that the Veil of the Temple tore at the moment of Christ's death on the cross, symbolizing the replacement of Judaism by Christianity as the true religion. This is why the pair appears in Crucifixion scenes.