The article examines literary and iconographical sources related to Job in ancient Christianity. Of a great importance is the "Testamentum Iobi", an apochryphal text which is at the same time point of confluence and source of a Job-tradition different from the canonical one. This text bears witness to a first significant transformation of Job: while in the biblical narrative he is presented as a concerned wrestler against God, in the Testamentum he turns into a patient and confident athleta Dei, enduring his affliction and having no doubts about the final resurrection and the victory over the Devil. From this basis, during the first Centuries, when the engagement between Christians and Roman Empire is particularly harsh, Job is presented by Christian exegetes as exemplum patientiae and typus Christi. The iconographical representation of this biblical character starts from the beginning of 4th Century, is well developed in Roman funerary contexts and reflects many aspects of the exegetic literature. It is possible to recognize two iconographical typologies of Job: in the first one he is represented sitting alone, very similar to the pagan “sitting philosopher”; in the second one Job is represented with other figures, often the wife.
Il caso di Giobbe tra persistenze bibliche e trasformazioni: il ruolo del Testamentum Iobi
CARNEVALE, LAURA
2006-01-01
Abstract
The article examines literary and iconographical sources related to Job in ancient Christianity. Of a great importance is the "Testamentum Iobi", an apochryphal text which is at the same time point of confluence and source of a Job-tradition different from the canonical one. This text bears witness to a first significant transformation of Job: while in the biblical narrative he is presented as a concerned wrestler against God, in the Testamentum he turns into a patient and confident athleta Dei, enduring his affliction and having no doubts about the final resurrection and the victory over the Devil. From this basis, during the first Centuries, when the engagement between Christians and Roman Empire is particularly harsh, Job is presented by Christian exegetes as exemplum patientiae and typus Christi. The iconographical representation of this biblical character starts from the beginning of 4th Century, is well developed in Roman funerary contexts and reflects many aspects of the exegetic literature. It is possible to recognize two iconographical typologies of Job: in the first one he is represented sitting alone, very similar to the pagan “sitting philosopher”; in the second one Job is represented with other figures, often the wife.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
