Ecclesia and Synagoga

Ecclesia and Synagoga, meaning "Church and Synagogue" in Latin, are two figures that stand for the Church and Judaism. They often appear together in old Christian art, like on church doors or near scenes from the Bible.

Ecclesia is shown as a proud woman with a crown, holding things like a chalice and a staff with a cross on top. Synagoga is usually shown with a blindfold, looking down, and carrying broken objects such as a lance or the Tablets of the Law. These pictures show how medieval Christian artists saw the Church as strong, while Judaism was seen as weaker.

The idea behind these figures comes from old stories and art pieces made many years ago. They first appeared in the 9th century and became well-known in the 12th and 13th centuries, showing the differences between Christianity and Judaism in a strong way.

Background in literature

The Church and the Synagogue have been talked about for a long time. This shaped how they were shown in art. Famous thinkers like Augustine helped form these ideas. They often compared old teachings to new ones. Over time, the Synagogue was sometimes shown as lesser, while the Church was seen as the true partner. These ideas came from old stories and were used in art and tales across Europe.

Meaning

The figures of Ecclesia and Synagoga, meaning "Church and Synagogue," were common in old Christian art. They showed the Christian belief that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah and that Judaism was no longer needed after Christianity started. Synagoga was often shown with a blindfold, to mean that people did not see this belief. She was sometimes shown falling down, with a broken staff or a crown slipping, to show defeat. In contrast, Ecclesia was shown standing up straight, to mean victory.

These figures were often placed on the sides of church doors or near crosses. They were mainly found on big churches in northern Europe, especially where many Jewish people lived. While they had religious meaning, they also showed the place of Jews in Christian society. Over time, the way these figures were shown changed, showing growing tensions between Christians and Jews.

Examples and distribution

You can see pictures of the Church and the Jewish synagogue on many old cathedrals. Some places where they appear include Minden, Bamberg, and Freiburg Minster in Germany, as well as Notre Dame de Paris and Metz in France. In England, parts of these pictures remain at Rochester, Lincoln, and Winchester cathedrals, even though some were damaged or destroyed over time. There are also paintings and stained glass images at York Minster and Canterbury Cathedral.

Sometimes these pictures appear in fun and unusual ways. For example, at Erfurt Cathedral, there is a carved seat showing the two figures jousting on horses, with the Church winning in a light-hearted scene.

Ecclesia alone

The idea of Ecclesia, representing the church, appeared long ago. Early Christian art sometimes showed the church as the Bride of Christ, a beautiful queen. This idea was linked to the Virgin Mary.

One of the oldest examples is in the apse mosaic of Santa Pudenziana in Rome, made between 402 and 417. In this art, two female figures stand behind apostles, placing wreaths over Saints Paul and Peter. These figures are thought to represent different groups in the Early Christian Church: one for people from non-Jewish backgrounds and one for Jewish backgrounds. Similar figures might also appear in another mosaic at Santa Sabina in Rome, though some parts are now missing.

Wise and Foolish Virgins

Some old art showed a story from the Bible called the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins using the ideas of Ecclesia (the Church) and Synagoga (the Jewish synagogue). This means the Church and Judaism. One clear example is in a Darmstadt book called the Speculum Humanae Salvationis, made around 1360. In this book, the main virgins from each group look like Ecclesia and Synagoga. The Wise Virgin's lamp turns into a chalice. This way of telling the story, seeing it as wise Christian virgins and foolish Jewish virgins who missed the wedding, was used in sermons and religious writings for a long time. Some think it might even be in Handel's oratorio Messiah from 1741.

Modern developments

After Napoleon took control of Milan in 1805, he asked for the front of Milan Cathedral to be finished. This included images of Synagoga and Ecclesia. This showed that all religions were equal under the new government, with Synagoga holding the Ten Commandments and Ecclesia as the Lady of Liberty.

In 2014, Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia made a sculpture of both figures together in peace. This celebrated the 50th year of the Nostra aetate declaration, which helped improve relationships between Catholicism and Judaism. The sculpture was blessed by Pope Francis in 2015.