The Sinai Pantokrator

This special icon, located at St. Catherine’s Monastery, is one of the oldest surviving icons that we have, dating back to the 6^th century. We still possess this icon because the Iconoclasts failed to reach a monastery as remote as that at Mt. Sinai. And it is very good that we have this icon. It is believed that this icon was copied from the Image of Edessa (or Mandylion), a miraculous cloth that bears the image of Christ’s face, given by Christ himself (this image will be discussed in my next article). It represents a decisive shift in the way Christ is portrayed in icons and the beginning of the Pantokrator that we know of today.

In this icon, we see most of the usual elements that are found in the Pantokrator icon. Jesus stands as a powerful figure, with a strong neckline, firm facial features, and broad shoulders. Behind his head is the cruciform halo with the Greek letters that stand for the Hebrew Tetragrammaton, identifying him as God. His left hand holds the New Testament, while his right hand gives us a blessing. Yet there is something distinctly different from this icon than what we would normally expect in other Pantokrator icons. For one, the background is blue instead of the traditional gold, showing that that element of iconography had not yet been introduced. His robes are a deep purple, symbolizing his royalty rather than his divine and human natures. We also see that Christ sits upon a throne, yet another element that is different from other Pantokrator icons.

Yet perhaps the detail most intriguing and captivating is his face. There is a very definite asymmetry between the left and the right halves of his face. The left side is clearly relaxed: his eyebrow and mouth are smooth and his eye relaxed. Even the lighting on his face hints at his relaxation. On the other half, we find the opposite. We see certain parts of his face in shadow, adding a sense of mystery to his face. His brow is furrowed and his lips are pursed. His eye even seems to be concentrating upon the viewer with an intensity that can be startling. It works to form an expression that is unusually severe. What is the purpose of this dual face?

I believe the answer can be found in a famous, yet entirely different form of art done by the ancient Greek artist Polykleitos known as the Doryphoros. The Greeks up to this point had perfected the human form in their sculpture, but had found in wanting in some sense. The portrayal of the human body, while having achieved a great measure of beauty, lacked a way of bringing out the duality of the human being- body and soul. Polykleitos, however, found a way of capturing it by splitting the body in half. The left side of the man is shown as relaxed, his arm is steady and his hand is limp. The head is turned to this side. We are given a sense of stability- the soul and the eternal dimension of man. The right side is shown stepping out into motion, the hand extended as it holds what was a spear, ready for action. We are given a sense of change, of constant motion- the body and temporal dimension of man.

We find something similar to this in the Sinai Pantokrator. This icon shows us Christ on the Day of Judgment. The right side of the icon shows Christ as the Just Judge, his expression stern and mysterious, his hand holding the New Testament, representing the New Law written in our hearts (Jer 31:33) by which we will be judged. It is a rather disconcerting image, meant to turn us inward to examine ourselves and see that we truthfully deserve to see this face at the judgment because of our sins.

Yet there is hope. The left side of the icon shows us our Merciful Savior, his expression serene and calm, his hand giving a blessing, commanding us to be at peace. Interestingly enough, the left side of Jesus’ face matches remarkably well with the Shroud of Turin, which was Jesus’ burial cloth and also an image of the love and mercy that Christ has for us by bearing the Cross and torments of the Passion. This is the face that we should most want to see and so we pray the prayer most loved by Eastern Christians throughout the world:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

The Pantokrator

Jesus Christ Pantokrator

Since Apostolic times, there have been those who have tried to recreate the likeness of Christ. Even at that time, Roman, Egyptian, and Greek art had reached a high level of expression that portraits could practically be taken as photographs. Those who saw his face may have even made his likeness. Eusebius, a church historian during the time of Constantine, attested that he had seen portraits of Christ that dated to apostolic times. This, unfortunately, cannot be historically verified since the Iconoclasm wreaked so much damage to existing icons. Nevertheless, it is not wrong to assume that likenesses of Christ passed on carefully by iconography may in fact be accurate. There are actually icons that match up well with the Shroud of Turin (which has an incredible amount of scientific evidence indicating that it was the burial shroud of Christ).

Perhaps the most common and oldest icon of Christ is the Pantokrator (or Pantocrator). This title is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name El Shaddai, which means “Almighty” or “All-ruler” in English. The name Pantokrator carries with it the connotation of one who has not only done great deeds but continues to do them in the here and now.

In this icon, Christ faces the viewer. Behind Christ’s head is a halo (a symbol of holiness in iconography) inscribed with a Greek cross. In the Greek cross are three letters- omicron, omega, and nu, which spell HO ON or “Who Am” in English. This is the name that God gave Moses at the Burning Bush in Exodus 3:14. This is the all-holy name of God- YHWH or the Tetragrammaton. This name was so holy that it was rarely spoken in Judaism. To use it flippantly was to ask for death.   There are two sets of letters on each side of his head- IC and XC. This is an abbreviated form of that name of Jesus (IHCOYC) Christ (XPICTOC). The entire background behind Christ is gold- symbolizing glory and the divine presence.

His eyes are looking straight forward into the very soul of the viewer. His forehead is high and convex, signifying a seat of wisdom. His nose is long and slender, contributing to a look of nobility. His mouth is small and closed in the silence of contemplation. His hair flows down behind him in rolls, signifying the endless flow of time. His neck and body are powerful and strong- a sign of his divine power and might.

Jesus is usually wearing a red robe clothed with a blue cloak called a himation. The himation can also be green in other icons. The red represents his divinity, the blue or green represents his humanity. Jesus is thus shown to be divine, but clothed in humanity. The himation is distinct from the cloak, giving expression to the dogma that Christ’s natures do not “inter-mingle” but are distinct. The himation is often shown to be tight near Christ’s waist, or a girdle is used to express the teaching that Christ has not shed his humanity when he ascended to heaven, but will remain man forever.

Detail of the right hand giving a blessing

In Christ’s left hand is a book, embossed with a Cross, which denotes that it is a book of Gospels. If the book is opened the icon is not technically an icon called “Christ the Teacher” and not the Pantokrator. When the book is open, there is usually a scriptural verse for the viewer’s instruction.   Christ’s right hand is raised in an unmistakable blessing. The hand that gives the blessing is shaped so that the fingers form the letters IC XC. The index finger is straight up to form an I. The middle finger is curved to show a C. The ring finger and thumb come together to cross, forming an X and the pinky curves to form another C.

All of these features converge together to give us a very powerful image of Christ, in which he is mystically present, striking us at once with fear of the Lord and with love, assuring us that Christ the “All-Ruler” will be there for us despite any hardships or difficulties.

To see all posts on Iconography, click here.

See the gallery below for other Pantokrator icons.

Written by a monk of Mount Athos (20th century)

From Chilandar, a Serbian Monastery in Northern Greece

From the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople

Theophanes the Greek: Fresco in the center of the cupola of Spas na Ilyine Church (The Church of Transfiguration of Christ) in Novgorod. 1378

Metropolitian Jovan Zograf. From Transfiguration Church in Zrze (nearby Prilep, Pelagonia). 1384