{"id":26931,"date":"2019-11-21T08:17:54","date_gmt":"2019-11-21T08:17:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/?p=26931"},"modified":"2020-02-13T09:29:50","modified_gmt":"2020-02-13T09:29:50","slug":"the-archangel-michael-inscriptions-and-the-angels-of-the-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/the-archangel-michael-inscriptions-and-the-angels-of-the-church","title":{"rendered":"The Archangel Michael Inscriptions and the Angels of the Church"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Let’s take a look at a 14th century icon in the Byzantine Museum, Athens.\u00a0 It represents the Archangel Michael, leader of the heavenly armies.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Byzantine Museum, Athens \u2013 St. Michael: 14th century \u2013 Photo by Giovanni Dall\u2019Orto, Nov 12 2009<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The question asked was, what do the letters in the round mirror (depicted as a transparent sphere here) held by St. Michael mean?<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s look at them:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

First, we need to know that the letters are Greek, which makes sense, given that it is a Byzantine icon.<\/p>\n

The first letter \u2014 at the top \u2014 is \u03a7.\u00a0 It stands for \u03a7\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2 \u2014\u00a0Khristos<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 \u201cChrist.\u201d
\nIt would be easy to mistake the second letter, at left, for an \u0391.\u00a0 But actually it is the letter \u0394, which is often found written in this manner in old icons.\u00a0 It stands for \u0394\u03b9\u03ba\u03b1\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2 \u2014\u00a0Dikaios<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 meaning \u201cRighteous.\u201d
\nThe third letter, at right, is \u039a, for \u039a\u03c1\u03b9\u03c4\u03b7\u03c2 \u2014\u00a0Krites<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 \u201cJudge.\u201d\u00a0 It is related to our English words \u201ccritic\u201d and criticism.\u201d<\/p>\n

All together, the letters abbreviate \u03a7(\u03c1\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03cc\u03c2) \u0394(\u03af\u03ba\u03b1\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2) \u039a(\u03c1\u03b9\u03c4\u03ae\u03c2). \u2014 \u201cChrist [the] Righteous Judge.\u201d\u00a0 It is an expression that recalls the words of John 7:24:<\/p>\n

\u03bc\u1f74 \u03ba\u03c1\u03af\u03bd\u03b5\u03c4\u03b5 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u2019 \u1f44\u03c8\u03b9\u03bd, \u1f00\u03bb\u03bb\u1f70 \u03c4\u1f74\u03bd \u03b4\u03b9\u03ba\u03b1\u03af\u03b1\u03bd \u03ba\u03c1\u03af\u03c3\u03b9\u03bd \u03ba\u03c1\u03af\u03bd\u03b5\u03c4\u03b5
\nMe krinete kat\u2019 opsin, alla ten dikiaian krisin krinete<\/em>
\nNot judge according-to appearance, but the rightous judgment judge
\n\u201cJudge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.\u201d
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

You may recall that\u00a0 a variant of this phrase is often found as a Gospel text in Russian icons of Jesus as \u201cLord Almighty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
\n
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\n
\n

\u041d<\/span>\u0435<\/span>\u00a0\u043d\u0430 \u043b\u0438\u0446\u0430 \u0441\u0443\u0434\u0438\u0442\u0435 \u0441\u044b\u043d\u043e\u0432\u0435 \u0447\u0435\u043b\u043e\u0432\u0435\u0447\u0435\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0438, \u043d\u043e \u043f\u0440\u0430\u0432\u0435\u0434\u0435\u043d \u0441\u0443\u0434 \u0441\u0443\u0434\u0438\u0442\u0435: \u0438\u043c \u0436\u0435 \u0431\u043e \u0441\u0443\u0434\u043e\u043c \u0441\u0443\u0434\u0438\u0442\u0435, \u0441\u0443\u0434\u044f\u0442 \u0432\u0430\u043c \u0438 \u0432 \u043d\u044e\u0436\u0435 \u043c\u0435\u0440\u0443 \u043c\u0435\u0440\u0438\u0442\u0435, \u0432\u043e\u0437\u043c\u0435\u0440\u0438\u0442\u0441\u044f \u0432\u0430\u043c.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cJudge not according to the appearance, sons of men, but judge righteous judgment.\u00a0 For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged, and with what measure you measure, you shall be measured.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

There is also a title inscription on the Michael icon that we should examine.\u00a0 It is divided into left and right parts:<\/p>\n

At left:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u1f49 \u0391\u03a1\u03a7[\u03a9\u039d]\u2026.
\nHO ARKHON<\/em>
\n\u1f49 \u039c\u0395\u0393\u0391C<\/strong>\u2026
\nHO MEGAS<\/em><\/p>\n

Notice how the the A and the P (R) are joined, and how the X (KH) in\u00a0Arkhon<\/em>\u00a0is placed above, below a curved line indicating abbreviation.<\/p>\n

At right:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u2026\u039c\u0399\u03a7\u0391[\u0397]\u039b
\nMIKHAEL<\/em>
\n\u2026\u03a4\u0391\u039e\u0399\u0391\u03a1\u03a7\u0397C<\/strong>
\nTAXIARKHIS<\/em><\/p>\n

Notice that the \u039b (L) in\u00a0MIKHAEL<\/em>\u00a0is placed above the last two letters.<\/p>\n

This title inscription is read with the first line jumping from the left to right side, as does the second, like this:<\/p>\n

\u1f49 \u0391\u03a1\u03a7(\u03a9\u039d) \u039c\u0399\u03a7\u0391\u0397\u039b \u1f49 \u039c\u0395\u0393\u0391C<\/strong>\u00a0\u03a4\u0391\u039e\u0399\u0391\u03a1\u03a7\u0397C<\/strong>
\nHO ARKHON MIKHAEL HO MEGAS TAXIARKHES<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTHE PRINCE MICHAEL THE GREAT COMMANDER\u201d<\/p>\n

That title recalls the Old Testament book of Daniel, 12:1, in the Septuagint Greek version:<\/p>\n

\u039a\u03b1\u03b9 \u1f10\u03bd \u03c4\u1ff7 \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9\u03c1\u1ff7 \u1f10\u03ba\u03b5\u1f77\u03bd\u1ff3 \u1f00\u03bd\u03b1\u03c3\u03c4\u1f75\u03c3\u03b5\u03c4\u03b1\u03b9\u00a0\u039c\u03b9\u03c7\u03b1\u1f74\u03bb \u1f41 \u1f04\u03c1\u03c7\u03c9\u03bd \u1f41 \u03bc\u1f73\u03b3\u03b1\u03c2<\/strong>, \u1f41 \u1f11\u03c3\u03c4\u03b7\u03ba\u1f7c\u03c2 \u1f10\u03c0\u1f76 \u03c4\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u03c5\u1f31\u03bf\u1f7a\u03c2 \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03bb\u03b1\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03c3\u03bf\u03c5\u0387
\n\u201cAnd in that time shall stand up\u00a0Michael the great prince<\/strong>, that stands over the sons of your people.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the entrance to old Japanese Buddhist temples, there were often two guardian deities.\u00a0 Here is a pair dating from the Kamakura Period (13th-early 14th century):<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

I always think of such guardian deities when I see the two angels painted at the entrance to Orthodox Churches in Slavic countries.\u00a0 These are the \u201c\u0410\u043d\u0433\u0435\u043b\u044b \u0413\u043e\u0441\u043f\u043e\u0434\u043d\u0438, \u0437\u0430\u043f\u0438\u0441\u044b\u0432\u0430\u044e\u0449\u0438\u0435 \u0438\u043c\u0435\u043d\u0430 \u0432\u0445\u043e\u0434\u044f\u0449\u0438\u0445 \u0432\u00a0\u0445\u0440\u0430\u043c\u201d \u2014 the \u201cAngels of the Lord, Recording the Names of Those Entering the Church.\u201d<\/p>\n

When both are found (sometimes there is only one), the angel on the left (in Slavic countries) of the entry is the Archangel Michael (Mikhail)<\/em>, as seen here in the Church of Simeon the God-receiver at the Zverin Monastery of Novgorod.:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

He threateningly holds a sword in his right hand, and a scroll in his left.<\/p>\n

In the Greek\u00a0Painter\u2019s Manual<\/em>\u00a0(Hermineia)\u00a0of Dionysios of Fourna<\/em>, we find this:<\/p>\n

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\u201cInside the door of the temple, on the right, the Archangel Michael;<\/em><\/span>\u00a0He holds a sword and a scroll with these words:\u00a0 \u2018I am a soldier of God, and armed with a sword.\u00a0Those who enter here with fear, I defend them, I guard them, I protect them and I observe them;<\/span>\u00a0<\/em>But those who enter with an unclean heart, I strike them mercilessly with this sword.<\/em>\u2018<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes in Slavic Churches, Michael\u2019s scroll reads:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u041f\u0440\u043e\u0441\u0442\u0438\u0440\u0430\u044e \u043c\u0435\u0447 \u043c\u043e\u0439 \u043d\u0430 \u043f\u0440\u0438\u0445\u043e\u0434\u044f\u0449\u0438\u0445 \u0432 \u0447\u0438\u0441\u0442\u044b\u0439 \u0434\u043e\u043c \u0411\u043e\u0436\u0438\u0439 \u0441 \u043d\u0435\u0447\u0438\u0441\u0442\u044b\u043c\u0438 \u0441\u0435\u0440\u0434\u0446\u0430\u043c\u0438.
\n\u201cI extend my sword to those who enter the pure house of God with impure hearts.\u201d<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Again, in Slavic Churches, Gabriel (Gavriil)<\/em>\u00a0is commonly on the right side of the entrance, though Dionysios of Fourna writes:<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\u201cOn the left, Gabriel holds a scroll, and writes these words with a reed: \u2018I write with this reed the internal disposition of those who enter here;<\/em><\/span>\u00a0I take good care of the good, but I cause the bad to perish promptly<\/em>.’\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/div>\n
\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Here are much more recent versions of the two Archangels, as seen in the Church of St. Kirill in Kiyev, Ukraine.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Michael at left:<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/div>\n
\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
And Gabriel at right:<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/div>\n
\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
As mentioned earlier, some churches have only a single recording angel, who is sometimes simply known as the \u0410\u043d\u0433\u0435\u043b \u0445\u0440\u0430\u043c\u0430 \u2014\u00a0Angel Khrama<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 \u201cAngel of the Church.\u201d\u00a0 It is believed that this angel becomes the protector of a church when it is consecrated, and remains on duty there until the Second Coming.\u00a0 Such an angel may be depicted as standing or sitting, recording on his scroll the names of those entering the church, so that he may give his report on them at the Last Judgment.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
Now obviously there is a relationship here to the standard image of the Guardian Angel in icons, who follows each person through life, recording his deeds.\u00a0 Sometimes the iconography of the two becomes mixed, particularly when the angel writing on a scroll is simply called\u00a0\u0410\u043d\u0433\u0435\u043b \u0441\u043e \u0441\u0432\u0438\u0442\u043a\u043e\u043c\/Angel so svitkom<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 \u201cThe Angel with a Scroll.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
An icon from the\u00a0Blagovyeshchenie<\/em>\u00a0(Annunciation) Monastery in Murom shows an \u201cAngel with a Scroll,\u201d and the\u00a0 title inscription identifies it as the angel seen in the vision of \u201cHoly Father Ammon,\u201d\u00a0 who saw \u201cthe Angel of the Lord Sitting and Writing Names of Those Entering the Church of God.\u201d<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
\n
\"\"
(Murom History and Art Museum)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
This relates to the old tale that the Egyptian monk-priest Ammon was given the ability to see spiritual things.\u00a0 Once during the Eucharist, he saw an angel near the altar who was writing down the names of those present, and crossing out the names of the absent monks.<\/div>\n
Sources: https:\/\/russianicons.wordpress.com\/2017\/05\/30\/the-archangel-michael-inscriptions\/<\/a><\/em><\/div>\n
https:\/\/russianicons.wordpress.com\/2017\/08\/14\/taking-names-and\/<\/em><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Let’s take a look at a 14th century icon in the Byzantine Museum, Athens.\u00a0 It represents the Archangel Michael, leader of the heavenly armies….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":26932,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[90],"tags":[97,5],"class_list":["post-26931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-angels","tag-icon","tag-iconography-and-icons"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/2-11-8-2.jpeg","views":{"total":2442,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1768405756},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paPyw9-70n","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26931","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26931"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26931\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26945,"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26931\/revisions\/26945"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26932"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26931"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26931"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catalog.obitel-minsk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26931"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}