![]() It is at this crucial juncture of life that an individual transitions from adolescence to young adulthood and celebrates the advent of age to join the crux of society as its recognized member. We, at GreatUniversities™, believe that a student must always take the right steps in beginning one’s journey.This week’s article on the Trinity icon is co-written by Kyleshka and the Badger Dad. Who’s Rublev?Īndrei Rublev, (pronounced “Rooblyohff), a monk from Holy Trinity Monastery, is the iconographer behind the most popular icon of the Holy Trinity. We do not know many of the details of his life. But here is what we do know he was born in the mid to late 14th century. Traditionally, we believe Theophanes the Greek mentored Rublev in the art of iconography. In 1408, he participated in the writing of icons at the Cathedral of the Dormition in Moscow, where he was recorded as the most junior of the iconographers who participated. After this, Rublev went on to work on iconography in at least one other church. Since it is the icon and not the iconographer which is honoured, we are only aware of the Trinity icon as Rublev’s work. So let’s get into that symbolism! A Note about Abraham’s Hospitality and the Trinity And this icon is essentially the icon of The Hospitality of Abraham, but with Sarah and Abraham removed and other symbols altered to reflect the Trinity. In Genesis 18:1-15 we read about the hospitality of Abraham to three angels. This event foreshadows the Theophany in the river Jordan. Furthermore, we read this event as an Old Testament revelation of the Trinity because sometimes when Abraham refers to the angels he uses a singular tense. ![]() ![]() Yet other times he uses plural pronouns for the three angels. The primary feature of the icon is the characters and positioning of the three angels, which Rublev rightly interprets as being a Theophany, or showing forth of God, through the “Type” (prefiguration) of the angelic figures. Typically read from left to right we see each angelic figure bearing the same facial and body characteristics, but with differing postures and clothing. The Unity and Communion of the Godhead is expressed by their similarities and in the complementary of the symmetry of the figures. The circular formation around the table (a Type of the Altar of Sacrifice and the Altar of the Cross), expresses this symmetry. The heads of the angels are tilted in deference to and in a communication of love between the three. This is a beautiful expression of the life of the Trinity, and reveals how there is no position of domination over each other within the Godhead. This also expresses how their hypostatic union is without confusion, separation or co-mingling. Say that the angels were two, and that they ate food. And they have corrupted their scriptures. The Muffasirin say: These angels left Abraham, and were Jibrail, They were Gabriel, Michael and Israfil, this is the saying of Ibnįrom Ibn Kathir's stories of the Prophets Bidaya Wal Nihaya: And Gabriel's task was to destroy Sodom (the last one coincides with Islamic tradition). Michael's task was to give news of Isaac and to rescue Lot. According to the Talmud: Raphael's task was to heal Abraham. Jewish commentaries state that one angel had fulfilled his task on visiting Abraham and didn't proceed to Sodom. The narration of two angels likely comes from the the Torah where three angels visited Abraham, and two visited Lut. ![]() From the Sahabah, the more widely accepted report is of three angels: Gabriel, Michael and Israfil (Raphael). In the Quran the number of angels is not mentioned.
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